Cyclists ride through Oxford Street as e-bike firms activate no-riding zones

Oxford Street’s new traffic restriction faced a test on 27 October, a day after a central London stretch closed to vehicles: The Standard counted 51 cyclists riding through it in one hour, despite a ban on cycling. Shared e-bike operators say their apps now mark the area as a no-riding zone and cut electric assistance when riders enter, but the bikes can still be pedalled manually.

The restriction covers roughly one kilometre between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street. Cyclists may dismount and push their bikes through. The Standard’s count did not establish whether the riders it saw were using shared e-bikes or whether geofencing activated on any of their journeys.

How shared e-bikes respond inside the Oxford Street zone

Lime said its app gives riders an audible warning before electric assistance slows and switches off. It also prevents them from ending a trip inside the pedestrianised area. Forest said its geofence likewise cuts motor assistance and blocks trips from ending there. Those accounts describe the operators’ measures; The Standard said it could not tell from watching cyclists whether the bikes passing through were being slowed.

Cycling rules and enforcement on Oxford Street

Metro reported that bollards had been installed and security guards were patrolling the stretch. Guards reportedly stopped some cyclists, while others rode past. A cyclist caught riding through the restricted zone can face a £160 penalty charge notice, reduced to £80 if paid within 14 days. Neither report established that a penalty had been issued to the riders observed on 27 October.

The vehicle restriction began on 26 October, when Oxford Street’s central shopping stretch closed to traffic. Metro reported that the vehicle ban is lifted between midnight and 7am for deliveries. The new accounts of riders continuing through the area add an enforcement question to the earlier opening of the traffic-free stretch.