Real-time information will be used to clear pavements of discarded dockless rental bikes, the council has announced.
A new deal struck between Westminster City Council and operator Lime Bikes will allow the local authority to track abandoned cycles in key hotspots.
The ‘hour-by-hour’ data collected will help deliver more parking capacity where needed, as well as manage areas where an excess of bikes are dropped off by commuters.
Council leader Paul Swaddle said: ‘It’s no secret that carelessly parked dockless bikes are a key concern for local people and my administration has made tackling this issue an early priority.
‘I am pleased Lime are working with us to manage this issue. Dockless bikes are now a major way of getting around the city, and we want people to have that choice.
‘We need to match that with keeping pavements clear and ensuring parking bays are well managed.
‘Working more closely with Lime, I am hopeful we can build a much more accurate hour-by-hour intelligence picture of where bikes are and stop issues before they arise.’
The council is also organising a summit of dockless bike operators this summer.
Councillor Swaddle called for a more ‘collective approach’ between London boroughs to address the ‘patchwork’ of different schemes operating currently.
‘The reality is cyclists don’t live by local authority boundaries and their commute takes them from one area to another. We need a collective approach to make this system work better for residents, businesses and riders.’
Jack McKenna, senior policy manager at Lime Bikes said: ‘We are delighted to be working with the new leadership of Westminster Council to further strengthen our partnership.
‘We’re continuing to invest in e-bike parking in the borough, and will be strengthening our on-street team of parking patrollers who work seven days a week tidying and removing excess bikes in busy locations.
‘As e-bike usage in Westminster continues to grow, working with Cllr Swaddle and his team on a collective approach on a localised, ward level will enable us to tackle hotspot areas, deliver parking bays and ensure that our service works for everyone in Westminster, whether they are a cyclist or not.
‘We welcome Cllr Swaddle’s commitment to ensuring that cycling in Westminster continues to grow and we look forward to working with the Council to deliver an improved service for residents, commuters and visitors alike.’