Labour will tomorrow launch a crackdown on e-bikes – but will stop short of a ban on the controversial devices.
Under plans drawn up by ministers, a new licence regime would be created in a bid to tackle 'wild west' riding on Britain's streets.
The aim would also be to stop the devices being dumped on street corners, being ridden on pavements and used to jump red lights amid soaring complaints about anti-social riders.
At present, ministers say the rules are too loose because of a patchwork of agreements between individual bike companies and councils. The new regime would aim to create a unified set of national standards.
But an early copy of the proposals, seen by the Mail, would stop short of favouring an outright ban on the devices, which will leave the families of victims of rogue e-riders disappointed.
The measures also only apply to rental e-bikes and not privately-owned devices, which critics say are a bigger problem.
Government sources said a separate crackdown on privately-owned devices will be launched in the coming months.
Police forces nationwide have been grappling with a surge in illegal e-bikes. Seizures rose 83 per cent, from 3,858 to 7,049, in the 12 months to May.
Huge build-ups of rental e-bikes cause havoc for pedestrians, in cities across the county, who find pavements blocked by them
The new measures are aimed at stopping pavements from becoming blocked after being dumped en masse by riders
E-bikes are often left in the streets after use, which pro-pedestrian campaigners have repeatedly highlighted as an issue
Privately-owned devices have been described by MPs as the 'perfect accessory to phone theft, mugging and drug dealing', with gangs increasingly using them to target crime victims.
But the rise of rental e-bikes has also sparked growing complaints about the devices being dumped on street corners, blocking pathways for elderly and disabled people and parents pushing prams.
Rental e-bike users, who pay companies a fee according to the length they rent them for via an app, have also been reported riding on pavements and erratically around vehicles.
The new measures would force people to 'park' e-bikes in designated zones so they aren't strewn across pavements.
Under the planned new licence scheme, which would create a stricter set of standards for local authorities to enforce, a new fines regime would also be introduced for users who ride drunk, on pavements, jump red lights or who break the rules of the road.
However, the announcement is likely to disappoint campaigners calling for a ban on the devices amid rising traffic on the roads, including e-scooter use.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said that while e-bikes can make travel a bit easier, they can be a 'real frustration' when they block pavements or are used 'irresponsibly'.
'I want to sort that by giving communities more control over where they are parked and making sure companies and riders play by the rules,' he said.
'While making the big, long-term changes to make transport better and more affordable for people across the country, this is a small but important everyday fix to make our streets safer.'
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, who will tomorrow announce a consultation on the issue, told the Daily Mail: 'Let's be honest, too many places are now like the wild west when it comes to dockless hire bikes.
'[Daily Mail] readers will have seen them strewn across pavements, dumped in rivers, and left in front gardens in a haphazard and sometimes dangerous manner.
'Am I saying we do away with the lot? Of course not. But we need to bring some order to the current chaos.'
She added: 'It means tougher action, such as fines, to crack down on red light jumping, pavement riding and other illegal and anti-social behaviour.'
Eleanor Briggs, of the blind people's charity Guide Dogs, said it welcomed the move, adding: 'Guide Dogs frequently hears from people with a vision impairment about irresponsible and antisocial use of e-bikes on pavements, putting pedestrians at risk.'
