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The Independent
24 minutes ago
- The Independent
Comedian hits out at London's E-bike licensing creating ‘Checkpoint Charlies'
Conflicting council decisions on electric bike licensing have created a "Checkpoint Charlie" situation near London bridges, according to comedian Dara O Briain. The Irish stand-up highlighted the issue of e-bikes "stacking up" at river crossings between the boroughs of Hounslow and Richmond in west London. Hounslow has granted permission for Forest and Voi's e-bikes to operate within its boundaries, while Richmond has licensed rival company Lime. This disparity means riders face a "patchwork of boundaries", preventing seamless travel across boroughs. Lime, one of the rental companies, has urged councils to collaborate to resolve the issue. The latter said it has agreed to a request by Hounslow for its bikes' electric motors to cut out if riders enter the borough. This causes the bikes to become heavy to ride, resulting in many users ending their trips. The PA news agency saw about 30 bikes near the southern entrance to Chiswick Bridge on Monday night. Some were parked appropriately to the side of pavements, but others had been thrown in bushes or tipped over. O Briain, 53, likened the issue to the Checkpoint Charlie border crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. In a post on social media platform X, he wrote: 'Hounslow Council have banned Lime bikes, and licensed Forest and Voi; neighbouring Richmond has licensed Lime and banned the others. 'So every bridge is Checkpoint Charlie, with loads of Lime bikes parked on one side and loads of Forest and Voi on the other. Top work everyone!' Richard Dilks, chief executive of shared transport charity CoMoUK, said: 'This rather bizarre set of circumstances is an unfortunate outcome of the current situation in London, where regulation of bike sharing schemes is decided at borough level.' He said the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill going through Parliament could make Transport for London the capital's licensing authority for rental e-bikes, enabling a 'more coherent pan-London approach' to be designed. A spokesperson for Lime said the existing scenario is 'frustrating for riders'. She said: 'We've already been contacted by many of them who are disappointed at the new rules. 'They should not have to experience London as a patchwork of boundaries. 'We want to see councils work together so that residents can travel seamlessly across boroughs, without having to stop at borders.' Alex Berwin, head of policy at Forest, said the issue is 'exactly why we have been calling for a pan-London approach to regulation'. He went on: 'We need a single regulatory framework, one enforcement model and one operational rulebook across the capital, whilst ensuring services support the local needs of each borough.' A Voi spokesperson said its users are 'free to cycle across borough boundaries, but parking must be in designated bays within participating areas'. He added: 'We're working with local leaders and TfL towards a London-wide scheme to make cross-borough journeys simpler.' Rental e-bike companies say they encourage people to switch from cars to a more sustainable form of travel, but there have been long-standing concerns about users blocking pavements with the bikes after they finish their rides. A spokesperson for Hounslow Council said: 'The issue of neighbouring boroughs having different e-bike operators is not unique to Hounslow. This is an issue at many boundaries wherever there is a change in operator. E-bike service areas are dynamic, with boroughs deciding to review operators at different points. 'We recognise that a borough-by-borough approach can be confusing for users and we continue to work closely with Transport for London and neighbouring boroughs to make the case to the Department for Transport for a pan-London approach. In the meantime, we are bringing in new measures to ensure e-bikes are better managed when left at the end of a journey.'
Daily Record
24 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Who will win Celtic vs Kairat Almaty? Our writers deliver predictions for Champions League playoff first leg
Celtic have overcome Kazakhstan opposition on three previous occasions in Champions League qualifying To call it the dream draw would be ignoring the nightmares which have lurked for Celtic over the years during some treacherous nights in qualifying, However, there's no doubt a tie against Kazakhstan's Kairat Almaty is one in which the Premiership champions' are expected to navigate with the minimum of fuss. Brendan Rodgers is rightly railing against overconfidence but does believe he has the Celtic side capable of being too much for Almaty despite his wishes for extra players at his disposal. Celtic have overcome Kazakhstan opposition on three previous occasions in Champions League qualifying and are aiming to do so again. Record Sport' s top team makes their predictions with one score standing out. Michael Gannon Kairat will come and try to park the bus but an early goal will set the tone and Celtic should be able to head to Kazakhstan with a fairly comfortable lead. Keeping the visitors out at the other end will be key. Celtic 4 Kairat 0 Ryan McDonald Celtic fans won't accept any excuses if they somehow crash out of the Champions League. This is arguably the most favourable draw and the Hoops should have enough in the locker to take a comfortable aggregate lead over to Kazakhstan. Celtic 3 Kairat 0 Scott Burns I would expect Celtic to get the job done at home. I think Brendan Rodgers' side will be too strong and they won't want to take any chances ahead of the second leg in Kazakhstan. Celtic 3 Kairat 1 Mark Pirie The Hoops proved last season that they are more than capable of getting big results in Europe. Celtic look weaker than last season after a sluggish summer transfer window, but should still have enough to navigate this tie and take a comfortable first leg advantage to Kazakhstan. Celtic 2 Kairat 0 Andy Newport The Hoops have a hell if a long way to go for the second leg next week. So you can be sure they will want to make sure they have a decent lead packed in their suitcase before setting off. They've got to cross five time zones to reach Kazakhstan but I can't see them wasting much time putting the tie to bed. Celtic 3 Kairat 0 Scott McDermott Given the difficulties of a midweek trip to Kazakhstan for the second-leg, there will be a real determination from Brendan Rodgers' side to effectively kill off the tie in Glasgow. Celtic are adept at making fast starts at home in Europe and if they get it right here they can blow Kairat away early - and make their away trek a lot easier than it might otherwise be.
STV News
24 minutes ago
- STV News
Rangers v Club Brugge: Teams named for Champions League play-off clash
Rangers head coach Russell Martin has named his starting line-up for the first-leg of their Champions League play-off clash. Belgian side Club Brugge are the opponents at Ibrox on Tuesday night with a place in the league phase of Europe's top competition on the line. Both sides will be keen to get a good result to put them another step closer to the Champions League and the riches that can bring. Rangers start with Jack Butland in goals behind a back four of debutant Jayden Meghoma, John Souttar, Nasser Djiga, and Max Aarons. Joe Rothwell and Mohamed Diomande are in midfield beside Nico Raskin with Djeidi Gassama and Oliver Antman either side of Danilo up front. The decisive second-leg will take place in Belgium next Wednesday. The losers of the tie will enter the league phase of the Europa League. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
