Forum Topic

Voi Bikes Beware...

I got a Voi to go from Chiswick to Mortlake as the trains aren't running. I did wonder if it would work south of the river but it looked ok on the app. (and google said it would)Ugh, as soon as I crossed Chiswick Bridge it went on a go-slow, and said I was in a no riding zone. But I had no option but to continue to Mortlake or I would have missed my train. IT'S ONLY WHEN YOU ZOOM OUT ON THE APP YOU SEE ANYTHING SOUTH OF THE  RIVER IS A NO-GO ZONE.Of course, it wouldn't let me end the ride and so I spent a stressful few minutes trying to get past their chat bots to an actual human. This seemed to take ages but to be fair they were eventually helpful, and agreed not to fine me for breaking the rules. I know the Lime Bikes were annoying street clutter. But at least the service worked, and the app was ok. And you could actually go where you wanted with them. But this change, and banning them from Hounslow, seems like a regressive step. To do this journey I'd have had to dump the Voi just before Chiswick Bridge... and then get  LIME from there the rest of the way to Mortlake station. Might as well get an Uber instead...

Simon Meyers ● 20d6 Comments

Yes, Vanessa. One would think it's rocket science given Hounslow blather. It isn't. The problem isn't the vendor. Forest failed in less than two weeks time. With their equipment dumped in the cycle lane. To my way of thinking, Hounslow simply failed miserably.

David Lesniak ● 18d

'the system relies on human behavior.'And that is the crux of this debate, we too are right on a borough boundary with L.B. Richmond (Lime) and have noticed Forest bikes over the border there and Limes still here. Personally as someone who hates the bloody things no matter who they belong to, I can't see people deviating from behaviour that suits their particular usage. Having to find a parking bay may also mean a couple of minutes walk back to where your actual destination was, or where you want to locate one. So unless every road has a bay I can't see anything changing, the whole point of these bikes in the first place was surely to pick them up and leave them where it suited the hirer? Now we seem to be telling them they can't do that!

Vanessa Smith ● 19d

Changing vendors will not eliminate the problem. Loads of Forest bikes out of bounds yesterday.Without actual, physical means to restrict their spread, the system relies on human behavior. That will not change.Always puzzled me these bikes couldn't access the bike racks already present. And/or new ones. If they did, each photograph taken would have the required context of a bike rack. Not a guarantee, but Forest doesn't require adding any context to the photo validation process the way Lime did. That said, easy to game the system if you're in a jam. Lately Forest keeps telling me I'm in a no-parking zone. When I'm literally in the approved e-bike bay.

David Lesniak ● 19d

So, on my way back from Mortlake I got a Lime from the station up to Chiswick Bridge. Parked it there with dozens of abandoned Limes.(£3.32 for 6 minutes)WALKED across the bridge. And then got a Voi to Chiswick Station (1.32 for 7 minutes) Madness...

Simon Meyers ● 19d

Another Hounslow howler! Did it not occur to the brainboxes in Hounslow that the change from Lime to Voi & Forest would create havoc at the Borough boundaries.Netheravon Road has the last official bay before Hammersmith & Fulham. Take a look, thirty plus bikes are heaped and scattered  across the highway, two adjacent car parking bays and pavement.Voi have responded quickly to my contacts with them but as soon as they remove bikes they pile up again with even more the following day.

Adrian Irving ● 20d

"Might as well get an Uber instead"  You're most likely correct.  You're not going to use voi and then lime on a pay and go basis, as you're paying to unlock both and pay a premium per minute, so an Uber is a better option. So you buy the minimum mins costing £3.99 and £3.49. Hey ho, again, you might as well get an Uber. Get a lime from Chiswick to Mortlake and it's only £3.99 and you have likely enough minutes to do the return trip. But Hounslow know best. I have to say that the cycle lane is dead quiet with forest and Voi. In fact, the numbers riding them anywhere are pretty dead. Well, in Chiswick anyway. Remember, you have 2 council borders bordering Chiswick within minutes of CHR. That tells you a lot I think. Flooding more bikes into the area is not going to change people's minds. It's the trips they are being used for that determine the usage. The 2 bordering councils account for many journeys as the parking of Lime bikes on the two borders show

Julian Pavey ● 20d