The Transport and Air Quality Committee met to discuss the Richmond upon Thames Transport Strategy 2040, the future of e-bike and e-scooter services in the borough, and the Q1 quarterly monitoring report. The committee agreed to continue e-bike services and participate in the TfL e-scooter trial, and also approved priority areas for inclusion in the Transport Strategy 2040.

E-Bikes and E-Scooters

The committee agreed to continue e-bike services in the borough based on the principles set out in section 8 of the E-Bike Richmond Committee Report, and to continue participating in the TfL e-scooter trial following its extension. The committee also agreed to a timetable for procuring future e-bike services as proposed in paragraph 8.4 of the report.

The discussion included:

• E-bike usage: Councillors noted the increasing use of e-bikes in the borough, with over a million trips made in 2024.
• Fleet size: Councillor Carey Bishop raised concerns about fleet size, saying that it should be determined by the needs of Richmond and not based on comparisons with other boroughs.
• KPIs: Councillor Carey Bishop also emphasised the importance of clear key performance indicators (KPIs) for e-bike operators, including monitoring, complaint numbers, and communication with the council.
• Interoperability: Councillor James Chard asked about lessons learned from Hounslow's procurement of e-bike services, particularly regarding interoperability with neighbouring boroughs. David Tidley, Head of Transport Strategy, said that the council would consider interoperability when evaluating potential operators.
• Data sharing: Councillor Andrée Frieze asked about the data that Lime currently shares with the council, and whether other operators are more flexible with their data. David Tidley confirmed that Lime provides usage and complaints information, but not in real time, and that other operators appear to be more transparent.
• Enforcement: Councillor Michael Butlin asked how many penalties Lime has issued for obstruction. David Tidley did not have that information but agreed to provide it to the committee.
• Youth access: Councillor Andrée Frieze raised the issue of young people hacking e-bikes, and suggested finding a way to ensure that they have legal access to the bikes. Councillor Alexander Ehmann, Chair of the Transport and Air Quality Committee, clarified that the legal age for riding a hire e-bike is 18, due to public liability insurance requirements.
• Accessibility: Councillor Petra Fleming noted that the majority of Lime scooter users are male and under 35, and that Lime bikes may not be suitable for women. Councillor James Chard suggested adding a criterion to paragraph 8.2 of the report, requiring future operators to demonstrate a line on accessibility to groups who are underrepresented in cycling.

Gary Evans submitted a public question asking why the committee was being asked to agree to an increase in the e-bike fleet size when it is not yet understood why serious cycle collisions increased by 130% as reported to committee in September 2024. The response was that it is national, London and local policy to promote and encourage cycling, and while the increase in serious cycling collisions remains a concern, it is well understood that this can likely be attributed to an increase in cycling and incident reporting.

Richmond upon Thames Transport Strategy 2040

The committee approved areas of priority for inclusion in the Transport Strategy 2040, as outlined in section 5 of the Transport Strategy 2040 report, and noted the next steps leading to the publication of the strategy in early 2026.

David Tidley introduced the item, explaining that the strategy is based on feedback received from residents and stakeholders during a detailed consultation exercise. He noted that the consultation revealed strong support for public transport and active travel policies, and that motorists were relatively quiet.

Key points from the discussion:

• Public transport: There was broad agreement on the importance of improving public transport, particularly buses and trains. Councillor Carey Bishop emphasised the importance of lobbying and working with other bodies to achieve real results for residents.
• Active travel: Councillor Andrée Frieze expressed concern that the pillars outlined in paragraph 5.10 of the report do not adequately reflect the importance of active travel, walking, and cycling. She argued that the strategy should focus on supporting active travel in order to meet the Mayor's transport strategy and Vision Zero targets¹. Councillor James Chard cautioned against setting motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians in conflict with one another, and suggested that cycling and pedestrian use should be a golden thread running through the strategy, rather than a separate pillar.
• Electric vehicles: Councillor Andrée Frieze also raised concerns that the strategy is too car-focused, with pillars on supporting the transition to electric vehicles and automation. She argued that the council cannot continue to support a system of private individual car use, as it is too damaging to society as a whole.
• Consultation: Councillor Michael Butlin noted that the number of responses to the consultation was quite low, and suggested conducting sample surveys to get a better understanding of residents' views. Councillor James Chard argued that councillors have close communications with people in their wards, and that their knowledge can overlay the consultation results.
• Delivery services: Councillor Gareth Richards asked whether the council had consulted with companies like Amazon about their plans for delivery in 2040. David Tidley responded that the strategy recognises that new and innovative forms of transport may bring benefits to residents.
• Mayor's transport strategy: Councillor Michael Butlin said that his priority is the residents, not the Mayor's plan. Councillor Alexander Ehmann responded that the dystopian vision of a London operating without a significant part of its public transport infrastructure demonstrates the importance of focusing on people's experience and access to what they want.
• Financial support: Councillor Andrée Frieze argued that the council is not being given the financial ammunition to deliver against Vision Zero and modal shift objectives. Councillor Alexander Ehmann agreed that the strategy needs to speak to what a necessary level of financial support looks like to get the council to where it wants to be by 2040.

Q1 Quarterly Monitoring Report

The committee noted the Q1 quarterly monitoring report, which forecast an underspend of £80,000 against a net budget of £8.142 million.

Alex Moylan, Head of Finance, Performance, Environment and Community Services, introduced the report, noting that there were a couple of smaller variances: an overspend within the inspection enforcement service due to lower income from licences, and a slight underspend in parking.

Key points from the discussion:

• Parking underspend: Councillor James Chard asked what to do if there continues to be an underspend in the parking area. Alex Moylan responded that there isn't a significant underspend expected, and that budget is set aside for vital work such as signing and lining.
• Parking income: Councillor Michael Butlin raised concerns about missing income from people parking to watch games at Twickenham Stadium, and suggested looking at dynamic pricing related to parking around events. Councillor Alexander Ehmann responded that dynamic pricing would also impact resident parking charges, but that the issue would be taken away as part of budget discussions.

Committee Work Programme

The committee considered the committee work programme, as detailed in the CWP 080925 report.

Paul Chadwick, Executive Director of Environment and Community Services, noted that the report on the Towpath Strategy would be presented to the committee in November, and that the description on the Hampton Court Road paper required updating to reflect that no proposal has yet been put out for public consultation.

Key points from the discussion:

• Hampton Court Road scheme: Councillor Carey Bishop asked whether details of the Hampton Court Road scheme are in the public domain. Paul Chadwick responded that the item needs amendment because it reflects consultation having taken place, and no proposal has been put out to consultation as yet.
• Pedestrian priority pilot: Councillor Michael Butlin expressed interest in a conversation with David Tidley about the pedestrian priority pilot, particularly regarding bench seats.
• Cargo bikes: Councillor Michael Butlin also suggested reviewing tricycles as part of the review of cargo bikes. Councillor James Chard agreed that there's definitely a place for recognising the role of non-standard bikes including tricycles.
• Autonomous vehicles: Councillor Petra Fleming asked how close the council is to autonomous vehicles and roadway taxis. Councillor Alexander Ehmann responded that it's a priority for the council to remain forward thinking, but that the council doesn't have a clear agenda for change on that at this stage.