Council offering asylum seekers 50% off e-bike and e-scooter rentals as Labour leader brags about 'win-win deal'
Wandsworth council's Labour leader Simon Hogg has described the new deal with private firms Lime, Forest and Voi as 'win-win'.
The south-west London local authority has published new details about what it calls an 'Access For All' agreement aimed at making the cycles 'fair, safe and affordable'.
Eligible residents are described as people in receipt of benefits, children in receipt of free school meals (all ages), asylum seekers/refugees, and children who are 'looked after' or care leavers.
MailOnline has asked all involved how the discounts are being financed.
This latest scheme comes amid recent revelations about how asylum seekers are using taxpayer handouts to fund their gambling habits.
Pre-paid cards given out to pay for basics including food and clothing are being used in gambling venues such as bookmakers, amusement arcades and even casinos, Home Office data shows.
In the last year, up to 6,537 asylum seekers have used the government-issued cards at least once for gambling.
In the new announcement about its e-bike scheme, Wandsworth Council declared it was 'rolling ahead with its active travel ambitions by working with Lime, Forest and Voi to support e-bikes and e-scooters as a sustainable mode of travel'.
In the 12 months from May 2024 to May 2025, there were 6.8million trips made by rented e-bike in Wandsworth.
The authority said: 'We're backing that demand by making journeys safer and more accessible for everyone.
Jenny Yates, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: 'E-bikes are here to stay as a key part of Wandsworth's transport network.
'We are committed to sustainable travel but it must be done responsibly, so we have worked with Lime, Forest and Voi to make sure e-bikes and scooters work for Wandsworth.'
And council leader Mr Hogg, whose party won control of Wandsworth from the Conservatives in 2022, said: 'This deal is a win-win.
'It's about opening up affordable, sustainable travel that helps our residents to access work and entertainment opportunities across the borough.
'We're proud that Lime, Forest and Voi have agreed to join Access for All and to operate respectfully and safely.
The new agreement has been announced in Wandsworth, a borough just south of the Thames
'We are making sure that no one is priced out of healthy and sustainable travel.'
The scheme also offers discounts for eligible residents towards 'key services from gym sessions to swimming lessons, wedding ceremonies to event tickets'.
The latest council announcement on its e-bike scheme also tells of having installed 170 dedicated on-street parking bays for e-bikes and scooters while also creating 'strict no-parking zones in town centres'.
Wandsworth council added: 'We're planning further parking bays. The Lime and Voi e-scooters follow strict safety standards, including speed caps, always-on lights and licence checks for e-scooter riders.'
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