00:00Pavements are meant to provide a safe route, but parked hire bikes can turn them into obstacle courses.
00:07Across parts of the West Midlands, line vehicles left across walking routes are raising concerns, particularly for people with sight
00:14loss or limited mobility.
00:16The current regional hire scheme launched on the 1st of April 2026 when line replaced the previous operator.
00:24Line bikes are available in Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull and Wolverhampton, while e-hire scooters currently operate in Birmingham at the
00:34University of Warwick campus there.
00:36Sight lost charity RNIB says badly parked bikes and scooters can affect independence.
00:42Its research found 81% of blind and partially sighted respondents said pavement obstructions made journeys harder,
00:50while 11% said they could stop people from simply going out the house.
00:56Now, Transport for West Midlands says the scheme uses parking locations and flexible parking areas.
01:03Geofencing can control where vehicles are ridden or left, and parking locations can be moved or adjusted.
01:10E-scooter users must park in permitted areas shown on the app.
01:14The transport body says it will monitor the scheme and make improvements as it develops.
01:19The challenge is balancing travel with streets everyone can use safely.
01:24For pedestrians, where a bike is left can matter as much as how it is ridden.
