We recently added a new feature to FixMyStreet Pro enabling authorities in London using the solution to export data on reports made within their boundary of abandoned hire bikes and e-scooters, even though the reports themselves are sent directly to the responsible operators.
This new feature comes at the request of several of our London-based clients, who wanted to know how many reports are being made within this category to help them identify trends, keep track of service levels and monitor usage.
CSV files containing this data are now available to export on a daily basis. Exports can be accessed by staff with the appropriate permissions through the FixMyStreet Pro administration dashboard, or programmatic access can be established via the API for automatic importation into a business intelligence platform.
Reporting abandoned hire bikes and e-scooters via FixMyStreet
The ‘Abandoned bikes/scooters’ category has been available to users in London on FixMyStreet and FixMyStreet Pro since 2023.
Reports submitted under this category, whether made on the national FixMyStreet site or via an authority’s own branded FixMyStreet Pro service, are sent directly to the operator responsible for the abandoned bike or e-scooter, including Lime, HumanForest and Voi.
Abandoned Santander Cycles can also be reported under this category and will be triaged directly to Transport for London.
As part of the reporting workflow, report-makers are asked to select which operator is responsible for the bike or e-scooter they need to report.
Reports are then sent to the corresponding operator, containing all of the other useful information included as standard in a FixMyStreet report, such as the report-maker’s details, easting and northing, latitude and longitude and the nearest postcode to the pin placed on the map.
Angela Dixon, Managing Director at SocietyWorks, said: “There is no doubt that the provision of hire bike and e-scooter schemes is an effective way for councils to reduce emissions and promote more active lifestyles, but when instances of abandonment occur they create nuisance and obstruct others from using roads safely.
“We hope the ability to easily access data on abandoned bikes and e-scooters reported via the FixMyStreet network enables councils in the capital to have better oversight of such schemes and can inform strategies to make them work well for everyone.”
—
While the reporting of abandoned hire bikes and e-scooters is currently only available in London, we would love to be able to open up reporting of such issues to members of the public in other locations where hire schemes are in place.
We are keen to hear from authorities and operators outside of London who share our appetite to make this happen. If that’s you, please send us a message and let’s see what we can do.
—
Image: Ben Wicks on Unsplash