The council has the power to remove abandoned pedal cycles from areas of the public highway.
Reporting criteria
A pedal cycle will be classed as abandoned if it meets 1 or more of the following criteria:
- it's secured in a dangerous position (for example, blocking the public highway)
- it's secured to a council cycle rack and is unroadworthy
- it's in an inappropriate place (for example illegally parked or chained to street furniture) and is unroadworthy
- when it's reported by a member of the public and assessed as unroadworthy or in a dangerous position
- when it's noted as not having moved for a reasonable period of time (several weeks)
Unroadworthy criteria
A pedal cycle will be classed as unroadworthy if it features 2 of more of the following:
- flat front/rear/both tyres
- missing wheel
- missing seat
- buckled front/rear/both wheels
- bent forks
- seized/damaged brakes
- rusted chain/gears
- missing chain
Report an abandoned cycle
If your bike has been removed
Once a pedal cycle has been identified as abandoned, a notice will be placed on the bike for 14 days before it's removed. After it's been removed, the bike will be stored in a secure location for a further 21 days before it's donated to the charity Recycle-a-Bike, based in Fassnidge Park, Uxbridge.
During this period, should anyone wish to object to the bike's removal or seek to claim a bicycle back, please contact the transport and projects team by emailing transportstrategy@hillingdon.gov.uk or calling 01895 558309.
Please note: Any owner wanting to make a claim on a removed pedal cycle will be asked to prove ownership by providing a description of where it was last left. If basic evidence cannot be provided, the pedal cycle will not be returned.