City of Yarra council ends Lime e‑bike trial

Melbourne’s City of Yarra council voted to terminate a six‑year shared e‑bike trial with U.S. operator Lime, rejecting a permanent hire contract. Councillors said Lime failed to meet tender requirements, including cleaning up dumped bikes, relocating improperly parked bikes within 30 minutes, and answering public calls within ten seconds, 24/7. The tender also demanded the operator cover all council costs without clear estimates, a condition the council described as “absurd”.

Community advocacy group Streets Alive Yarra, led by president Jeremy Lawrence, argued the tender was deliberately onerous and set Lime up to fail. Lime’s Asia‑Pacific head Will Peters called the council’s actions “untrue” and questioned the authority of local governments to ban e‑bikes. The council warned that non‑compliance could result in fines of $5,000 for the first breach.