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Forest, the e-bike operator recently granted a licence by Hounslow Council, has declared a 50% increase in its "pay as you go" service fee to £1.50, attributing the rise to a doubling of the fees London boroughs charge for operational rights.

This announcement of a price rise comes shortly after City AM disclosed that Hounslow Council had awarded Forest a profitable e-bike contract, partly due to its substantially higher financial offer compared to competitors, despite lower scores in other quality assessments, as reported by .

In communication with its users, Forest cited escalating "borough fees" as the justification for the fee increment.

The company's statement to customers clarified: "In order to operate in each borough, we also have to pay a fee to them," and elaborated on the variability and recent increase of these charges, stating, "These fees vary... but one thing that is consistent is that these fees have doubled in the past year."

A patchwork of policies

London's e-bike market is characterised by a "patchwork of policies," a term coined by television host Dara Ó Briain on social media, reflecting the disparate regulations and fees across the city's boroughs.

This disjointed approach has resulted in different e-bike operators being licensed in adjacent boroughs, leading to practical issues for users.

For instance, while Hounslow has issued licences to both Forest and Voi, neighbouring Richmond has opted for Lime as its e-bike provider.

The consequences of this fragmented system are evident, with instances of bikes being left stranded at borough borders or even during trips, as highlighted by a social media user named Matt on X, who shared images of bikes clustered at the boundary between Hounslow and Richmond.