Complaints About The Dumping Of E-bikes In Greystones Prompts Move To Fine For Misuse

Claims have been made that some e-bikes have been dumped on footpaths and roads in Greystones upon the inception of MOBY e-bike scheme in Greystones.

Anyone abandoning e-bikes in Greystones will now face fines.

Claims have been made that some e-bikes have been left unattended on footpaths and roads with some thrown into ditches.

The newly installed e-bike provider MOBY will now fine users up to €30 for not returning bicycles properly while mapping has been updated to help users to park in designated areas.

MOBY Bikes have been embraced by the Greystones community since its inception but challenges emerged about the e-bikes being abandoned in inappropriate and unsafe locations around Greystones.

Local councillor Stephen Stokes says he's received multiple complaints from local residents that e-bikes were left in unsanctioned places including footpaths, roads, and even being tossed into ditches.

This raised issues around pedestrian safety, accessibility, and general tidiness in the area.

The hope is that these new penalties will help curb any irresponsible parking and improve the service for all users.

Additionally, GPS mapping for Greystones has been updated. This will help guide users to park in more appropriate and designated areas.

Cllr Stephen Stokes is grateful to Wicklow County Council Officials who liaised with him and MOBY to find proactive solutions. Cllr Stokes stated:

"This is a good e-bike scheme. I commend MOBY for their investment. However, with such an expansive new scheme sometimes there can be unexpected results, especially in the early stages. In fairness to MOBY, they tried to be flexible after their initial launch. However a fresh approach was needed to ensure parking in the designated bays. MOBY have listened and acted. I would also like to pay tribute to Mark Costello and the Environment section of Wicklow County Council for their sterling work on this project."

MOBY Bikes have been popular since their introduction in Greystones. Each bike is being used about four times per day.

On the financial side, MOBY has taken steps to tighten their account rules. One key issue identified the ability to set up a temporary card with Revolut. The MOBY team moved to close this loophole to ensure greater accountability.

Commenting on the developments, Cllr Stephen Stokes added:

"I fully support shared transport solutions like MOBY Bikes, but they have to work for everyone in the community. Abandoned e-bikes had become a real issue for residents. I am pleased to see decisive action now being taken. The new mapping updates, better user controls, and the enhancement of fines should go a long way in addressing the problems. I want to thank local residents for raising their concerns and I will continue to monitor the situation to ensure real results for Greystones."