Councils and mayors in England will be handed new powers to licence shared e-bike schemes, as ministers move to tackle badly parked bikes and antisocial riding.

The Department for Transport launched a consultation today proposing national standards for operators such as Lime, Voi, Beryl, Dott, Forest and Bolt.

Under the proposals, firms would need parking plans, plans to deal with drunk, underage or pavement riding, and fleet management and maintenance arrangements, with fleet sizes and operating areas defined.

Ministers are also asking whether local leaders should be able to set fees and require operators to share data to improve enforcement.

The aim is to keep pavements clear, particularly for wheelchair users, families with prams and people with sight loss.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: ‘Shared e-bike schemes have revolutionised the way people travel around our towns and cities. They are easy to use, get us active and help reduce emissions, but we need to make sure they work with the communities where they operate.’

The Government is also working on devolving similar powers to Transport for London.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: ‘I’ve been calling for powers to better manage dockless e-bike schemes since 2017, when the first schemes arrived in London, so I welcome the Government’s plans to give cities the powers they need to do this.’

‘I’m pleased to see the Department for Transport setting clear standards and empowering local leaders to better support vital growth in sustainable travel so we can keep building a safer, fairer, greener London for everyone,’ he added.

Commenting on the announcement, Wayne Ting, Chief Executive Officer at Lime, said: ‘Today’s consultation is an important step forward. We look forward to working with Government and local authorities to help deliver schemes that work for riders, operators, and everyone in the communities we serve, all for a greener and more connected UK.’