Agenda item

To consider recommendations relating to the regulation of dockless vehicles on the highway and public places.

Planning and Transportation Committee

(Deputy Alastair Moss)

(1 October 2019)

Dockless Vehicle Hire Byelaw

The Court was recommended to delegate to London Councils’ Transport & Environment Committee (TEC) the authority to exercise the City Corporation’s byelaw-making function for the purpose of regulating dockless vehicles on the highway and/or public places by way of an addition to the existing TEC constitution.

DocklessCycle hire schemes fell outside existing legislative frameworks and the City Corporation did not have powers to prevent dockless cycle hire schemes from operating in the City. The lack of powers to manage dockless cycle hire operators had been recognised by TEC and Transport for London (TfL). In response, and following legal advice, TfL and London Councils had proposed a pan-London byelaw supported by an updated Dockless Vehicle Hire Operator Code of Practice.

TEC did not consider it practicable for the same Byelaw to be made independently by 33 London Local Authorities and was, therefore, seeking authority from all London Local Authorities and TfL to amend TEC’s constitution to enable TEC to make a pan-London byelaw on the authorities’ behalf.

Resolved – That authority be delegated to London Councils’ Transport and Environment Committee to exercise the following functions by way of an addition to the Part 3(D) Functions in the LC TEC agreement, inserting a new paragraph 2(c) as follows:

“(c)(i) the making of byelaws under section 235 of the Local Government Act 1972 (and, in respect of the City of London Corporation, under section 39 of the City of London (Various Powers) Act 1961) for the purpose of regulating dockless vehicles on the highway and/or public places (including by making it an offence for a dockless vehicle operator to cause or permit their dockless vehicle to be left on the highway or public place other than in an approved location), including taking all related steps to promote, make, amend and revoke any such byelaw.

(c)(ii) The exercise of powers under Section 1 of the Localism Act 2011 for the purposes of giving effect to (i) above, including but not limited to oversight and management of the arrangements (but excluding prosecution or other enforcement).”