In London, scarcely a week goes by without a negative media story about badly parked Lime bikes obstructing sidewalks, the dangers posed by riders or the struggle to regulate them properly.

Silently and swiftly swooping along London’s streets – and often through red lights – the white and bright green battery-assisted Lime bikes with their distinctive front baskets have rapidly become an everyday sight, almost equal to black taxis, red phone booths and grey pigeons as symbols of the city.

On a recent sunny August morning, Sophie Palmer jumped off her Lime bike, parked it on the sidewalk, and snapped and uploaded a photo to the app to close her ride. It all took seconds.

“I’m a huge fan of the Limes,” said the 29-year-old personal assistant. “They are a bit grubby, but they are really, r

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