Hackney’s Labour transport councillor has denied a partnership between his charity and Lime constitutes a conflict of interest, ahead of a looming decision on whether the electric bike firm’s contract in the borough should continue. Mete Coban MBE, Hackney’s cabinet member for environment and transport and a close ally of Sadiq Khan, is facing backlash over his charity My Life My Say’s formal partnership with Lime, which first won a contract to run e-bikes in Hackney in early 2022. “This is disappointing from Councillor Coban who should be aware that elected officials need to be seen to be beyond reproach in their dealings with contractors,” Alastair Binnie-Lubbock, joint head of Hackney Greens, told City A.
M. Micromobility companies compete fiercely to operate in London’s many local authorities, and a re-run of the Hackney tender is on the cards as Lime’s current contract is set to expire in July. Founded in 2017, the US start-up’s London operation has grown far faster than its closest competitors Forest, Tier and Dott (the latter two have recently left the UK capital).
The operator’s growth has been such that the Lime fleet has surpassed Santander’s 12,000 Boris bikes and has been criticised for cluttering pavements . Hackney is one of the most hotly contested local authorities among e-bike companies due to its cycling infrastructure, demographic and size. But Lime’s prior tender victory left a sour taste in the mouth of some involved.
“The process.