The idea of having free floating bikes that are convenient to pick up and ride is a good one that ought to – if done the right way – support ambitions to increase levels of active travel and improve air quality, writes TP news editor Steve Dale.

But, quite rightly, some dockless bike share providers have attracted criticism for introducing their services onto streets with seemingly little thought for the problems they may cause.

Both transportation professionals and groups representing disabled users have brought up concerns that these bikes add to street clutter and present a serious hazard for the visually impaired and older people, if left in the wrong places.

However plans announced last week by the City of London Corporation will seek to solve some of these problems. The City’s ambitious new transport strategy includes a range of measures to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists over cars, including plans to introduce 15mph speed limits in the Square Mile.

The authority has also partnered with bike share providers Beryl and Freebike for a six month trial that involves a new approach to managing dockless cycle hire. “We recognise the benefits of dockless services,” chair of the City’s planning and transportation committee Alastair Moss told the London Walking and Cycling Conference last week.

“It can help people choose to travel by bike for a wider range of journeys. But it’s fair to say these new services have also created some challenges for us. Our new approach will require bikes to be left in designated parking areas,” he said.

This, he went on, will hopefully ensure bikes are more readily available where they are needed, and avoid cycles being left in places where they will get in the way of people walking. “This is an approach which we feel is particularly suited to the city’s context of extremely high levels of walking on often very narrow streets,” he said.

After hearing from Alastair, I spoke to Beryl co-founder Philip Ellis, who emphasised: “The bike when left on its own, free floating, is a dangerous thing in the way for people in the streets.” He added: “As much as anything, we think a cyclist is less inclined to get on the bike if it looks haphazard.”

Several specially demarcated areas are due to be rolled out across the Square Mile where Beryl and Freebike’s vehicles will be parked. “If someone hasn’t parked their bike in that right area the individual will be told immediately and may face a small fee to try and encourage the right sorts of behaviours,” said Philip. He also explained that Beryl will have a team of operatives on the ground to track and recover bikes left away from the parking bays.

No doubt other authorities keen on promoting cycling, both within London and across the UK, will be watching the outcomes of this trial with interest.

If successful, it is possible that the approach could do better than free floating dockless cycle hire services by providing bikes that are easier to find, while still providing greater flexibility over docked schemes such as London’s ‘Boris Bikes’.

(Photograph: Beryl)