City Councillor Faces Conflict of Interest Claims Over E-bike Role

City of London councillor Shravan Joshi has taken on an advisory role with e-bike operator Lime, prompting concerns about potential conflicts of interest. Joshi is a member of the City of London Corporation's Streets and Walkways Sub-Committee, a body responsible for overseeing e-bike operations in the Square Mile.

The advisory role with Lime began in September. This was two months after the Streets and Walkways Sub-Committee approved a revised Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with e-bike operators. The updated agreement, agreed in late July, introduced new measures including a penalty regime and financial contributions from operators, set at £80 per parking space per quarter. The revised MoU also increased the number of authorised operators from two to three, adding Voi to existing providers Forest and Lime.

Concerns Over Committee Membership

Joshi, who has previously served as Chair of Planning and Transportation, is understood to be helping Lime establish an Advisory Board for its London operations. This role does not involve decision-making authority for Lime's company board. However, his position on the Streets and Walkways Sub-Committee, which directly influences e-bike policy and agreements, has drawn scrutiny.

One source has stated that Joshi should vacate his position on the sub-committee. The source expressed that the public would rightly have concerns given his committee's discussions and decisions regarding e-bike operators occurred up to and during the MoU negotiations.

The City of London faces regular issues with abandoned e-bikes and user behaviour, problems the MoUs aim to address. The original MoU was signed last summer. The revised version, discussed on July 21, included amendments to financial contributions, penalties for poor parking, and requirements for affordability and data sharing.

During the July meeting, Councillor Joshi left before a decision was made but had contributed to the discussion, stating he believed the MoU was acceptable but suggested obtaining police input. Following his departure, his views on not adding Voi to the operator list were relayed to the committee.

Conflict of Interest Questions Raised

On October 13, Councillor Joshi updated his register of interests to declare his role as a Board Advisor to Lime. While this description is understood to be inaccurate, the disclosure has highlighted the potential for conflict. The Corporation's Code of Conduct permits such roles, provided interests are declared and the councillor withdraws from decisions where conflicts may arise. At a recent Streets and Walkways Sub-Committee meeting, Joshi made a declaration regarding an item on MoU income allocation, though he did not specifically name his role with Lime.

A spokesperson for Second Derivative, a research consultancy firm specialising in e-bike operators, described the situation as 'deeply troubling'. The firm questioned how Lime would address the serious conflict of interest and demonstrate compliance with its corporate governance and anti-bribery obligations, particularly given the committee's approval of commercial arrangements benefiting the company shortly before Joshi's advisory role began.

Lime has not provided a comment regarding when discussions about Councillor Joshi's role commenced or whether he is being remunerated, according to MyLondon.