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Bike share

^{Image: credit Beam.}

Waverley's People, Movement and Places transport vision actively encourages and prioritises residents making trips walking, cycling and by public transport. Not only does this assist the environment but reduces traffic and thus benefits those who are reliant on vehicle transport.

Council works with three e-bike share providers who service the area:

• Lime (green bikes) 1800 861 305 support-au@li.me
• HelloBike (blue bikes) 9423 0886 serviceos@hellobike.com
• Beam (purple bikes) 9052 0854  teamsupportau@ridebeam.com

^{Image: credit Lime}

What is bike share?

Share bikes are a service where bicycles are made available to individuals on a short-term basis for a small cost. Share bikes must be unlocked, usually via an app, to be used. The service is a sustainable transport option which supports people in travelling to and from transportation hubs and to their final destination.

Share bikes are either docked or dockless services. All share bikes in Waverley are dockless.

What is dockless bike share?

Dockless bike share provides a service where the share bikes are free-floating. These bikes are still locked but not to any docking infrastructure. These bikes are unlocked via an app for the specific bike share operator. They can be ridden anywhere a normal bike can be ridden but parking can be limited to within designated areas that are specified in the operator’s app.

Waverley Council does not own, operate or manage bike sharing services in the LGA. Private companies who choose to set up bike sharing services do not require our approval. All regulations that apply to these services are managed by the NSW Government. However, Council maintains ongoing communications with bike share providers to mitigate any issues for residents and achieve the best possible outcomes.

Why are share bikes useful?

Share bikes provide an option for Waverley residents (and people visiting Waverley) to get around without needing a car. When managed properly, they provide a useful way to get to local destinations and other transportation links like buses and trains.

Legislation for share bikes

Any legislation with respect to share bicycles is determined by the NSW Government. As yet there is no legislation regarding the establishment of a bicycle share company in NSW, however the Public Spaces (Unattended Property) Act 2021 does apply.

The Office of Local Government has provided Councils with guidelines on three classes of items that may be considered unattended. Share bikes fall under Class 2, Shared Services. Bike share operators should refer to the resources on unattended property , especially the associated Code of Practice if considering operations in Waverley. The rules for sharing services are summarised in the image below.

^{Credit - NSW Office of Local Government. Click to enlarge.}

Share bike deployment and parking

There are two aspects to consider when you find a share bike around Waverley: was it deliberately placed there (deployed) by the bike company or was it parked there by a user at the end of the trip.

Deployment: Typically, share bike companies will neatly place their bikes on the footpath in an unobtrusive location at an angle to the kerb, sometimes this will be in groups depending upon how many bikes are used from that location. The bike companies have determined their locations for deployment. Waverley Council is investigating the formalisation of share bike hubs in high use areas.

User parking: It is legal to park a share bike on the footpath if it is not causing an obstruction. Share bike companies may have additional guidance and restrictions on parking by either identifying preferred parking locations in busy areas or not permitting parking in specific locations that are dangerous. Generally, in commercial areas such as shopping hubs, share bikes can be parked on the footpath adjacent to the kerb. In residential areas, share bikes should also parked adjacent the kerb. Whilst there is flexibility in parking share bikes, they must never be parked where they are blocking a footpath, driveway or access to a building.