We are driving to a compound in London where seized hire e-bikes are taken. In the back of the van, there are three. We are sitting in the front and you can hear their alarms bleeping incessantly behind us. The noise is loud and irritating. Giri Manepalli, who is a street enforcement officer, says sometimes when he finishes a shift, he can still hear the bleeping in his head.
Dockless hired e-bikes are popular, convenient and emit zero emissions, and micro-mobility is often seen as the solution to transport in cities. But the sector is unregulated. There are concerns over injuries and road safety with a cohort of newer cyclists using the bikes. And one of the biggest headaches is where they park - dockless meaning they can be left pretty much anywhere. Pavements are blocked and there is criticism the rollout of the bikes has not been matched with infrastructure.