Key Points
- Voi, an e-bikes rental company, continues to run their business in the West London borough of Ealing despite failing to secure the new contract.
- Previously, e-bike contracts were jointly awarded to Forest and Lime, the two competing operators, through a mini-procurement without any tender.
- Voi became the only operator to fail to secure a new contract, but it refuses to take its bikes away claiming that there is no reason for them to stop operating as there is no legal basis for this decision.
- The company states that the process conducted by the council was not proper and did not have a solid basis for the decision to exclude it.
- Forest and Lime companies are now paying the contractual fee to the council while Voi operates without any agreement or fee.
- According to the Ealing Council, it conducts the same practice that is followed by the majority of London boroughs when signing the Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).
London, Voi Refusing uk/local/ealing/">Ealing Exit (West London Times) September 8, 2026 – E-bike rental company Voi has defended its decision to continue operating in a West London borough despite missing out on a new contract to operate there. Earlier this year, Ealing Council jointly awarded e-bike contracts to Forest and Lime following an informal procurement process. Voi was the sole company not to be awarded a contract, but it is now refusing to end its Ealing operation, citing several concerns with the administrative process.
How Did the Dispute Between Voi and Ealing Council Arise?
As reported by Philip James Lynch, Local Democracy Reporter for MyLondon, the friction began when Ealing Council chose to establish its e-bike scheme through an informal procurement route rather than a traditional, formal tender. Instead of a standard, costly and time-consuming formal procurement process, the local authority chose to agree on a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU) with e-bike operators, aligning with the approach taken by most London boroughs.
While it was initially assumed that Voi would quietly leave the borough after losing out to competitors Forest and Lime, the company challenged the legality of the move. Because the council used an informal process rather than a statutory licensing regime, Voi argued that there is no legal basis to force its withdrawal from the public highway. Furthermore, reports note that while Forest and Lime are paying Ealing Council a contractual fee to operate, Voi has continued running its service without paying any fee or holding a formal agreement.
What Specific Concerns Has Voi Raised Regarding the Selection Process?
As reported by a spokesperson for Voi to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) and featured by MyLondon, the company detailed its grievances regarding how the council managed the MoU process.
A Voi spokesperson stated:
“In a letter to Ealing on 24 April 2026, submitted alongside our formal response to the council’s call for submissions, we said that running what amounted to a ‘mini-procurement’ exercise, without published scoring or clear criteria, wasn’t a robust basis for excluding any operator from the borough.”
The company added that it made its case as the operator with, on paper, the strongest compliance record in Ealing, noting it was the only provider sharing live data with the council throughout the previous MoU term.
Addressing the reasons behind staying put, a Voi spokesperson stated:
“There is no statutory licensing regime that requires a council’s permission to operate dockless e-bikes on the public highway, and we do not believe that the selection process used gives the council grounds.”
The company also argued that removing its bikes would negatively impact local residents. A Voi spokesperson stated:
“Neither, within this context, do we believe it to be fair to Ealing residents that Voi’s removal would deprive them of the cheapest per-minute dockless e-bike rental service in London – Voi charges 27p a minute with no unlock fee, compared with 33p a minute plus a £1 unlock fee for both Lime and Forest.”
Despite the ongoing standoff, Voi expressed a preference for formal cooperation. A Voi spokesperson noted:
“That said, we’d much rather be operating in Ealing under a formal agreement – it would give officers greater oversight and it’s better for the borough’s finances – and we’ve told the council that directly. We remain open to resolving this constructively, but have written to the council three times with detailed concerns about this process that have not been acknowledged. In the absence of a formal agreement, we will operate in Ealing in accordance with the borough’s own e-bike enforcement procedure.”
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How Has Ealing Council Responded to Voi’s Continued Operation?
Ealing Council has defended its administrative framework, emphasizing that it acted in line with regional norms while waiting for wider legislative updates.
As reported by MyLondon, a council spokesperson stated:
“The council has followed a process of agreeing Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with e-bike operators, in line with a majority of London boroughs. Until the Devolution Bill enables local licensing of e-bike schemes, boroughs are continuing with established arrangements, and awaiting the proposed pan-London contract to be operated by TfL.”
Regarding Voi’s active presence without a contract, the local authority pointed to its regulatory measures. A council spokesperson stated:
“The council adopted its e-bike enforcement policy in February 2026 and is taking action in line with this procedure, including issuing fines and sanctions for obstructions of the public highway. We cannot comment on live discussions taking place with any operators.”
Background of the Particular Development
The conflict in Ealing highlights a structural loophole and regulatory headache prevalent across London regarding dockless micro-mobility transport. Unlike rental e-scooters, which are tightly regulated under strict trials overseen by Transport for London (TfL) and central government legislation, dockless e-bikes do not fall under a unified statutory licensing regime.
Because e-bikes are not legally classified as motor vehicles under UK road traffic laws, individual London boroughs have had to independently manage operators using voluntary Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). This decentralized approach has frequently resulted in friction when local authorities attempt to cap operator numbers, streamline fleets, or transition to preferred vendor contracts, leaving councils vulnerable to legal challenges from excluded companies operating on public highways.
This regulatory standoff in Ealing could set a crucial legal and operational precedent for how London local authorities manage micro-mobility providers ahead of wider legislative reforms. For the particular audience—including Ealing residents, local commuters, and e-bike operators across the capital—this development exposes the practical limitations of informal council policies.
If Voi successfully maintains its operations without a contract, it may embolden other excluded micro-mobility firms to challenge municipal caps across London, potentially leading to cluttered streets or heightened congestion until a centralized, pan-London contracting framework or the Devolution Bill grants councils definitive statutory licensing powers. Conversely, aggressive enforcement of local obstruction policies by Ealing Council could trigger a wave of legal battles over public highway rights, ultimately forcing a faster legislative overhaul for dockless transport in urban areas.
