The NSW government has handed local councils bolstered powers to make it easier for them to seize dumped share bikes and fine operators whose bikes have been dumped in public spots.
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Bike share operators will face a fine of $500 per bike, or a court-imposed penalty of up to $2750, for failing to remove a bike that poses a safety risk or blocks access within three hours of being notified.
Those same fines will apply to operators who don't remove a bike that has been left in the same place for more than a week within four days of being notified.
The new powers also mean council rangers can immediately impound or move share bikes that cause obstructions or create a safety risk in a public place.
Lime and Mobike are the only bike share companies to operate in Sydney after their two predecessors, Ofo and Reddy Go, last year quit the city amid a council crackdown on dumped bikes.
"While several share bike operators left the market last year resolving many of the problems, these new powers will ensure councils can target any irresponsible operators who set up shop in Sydney and other parts of NSW," Local Government Minister Gabrielle Upton said.
"The new powers supplement a range of powers local councils and police already have under various laws to deal with dumped share bikes causing problems in public places."
Ms Upton said the government would monitor the effectiveness of the new powers and, if necessary, enforce a code of practice with stricter controls to halt any emerging impacts on local communities.
"These new powers put the responsibility firmly at the feet of share bike operators who will face the consequences if they don’t do the right thing."
The state government flagged last May that it would give councils increased powers to deal with dumped share bikes under a new code of practice targeted at operators.
It followed moves from six inner-Sydney councils to impose new guidelines on bike share operators to clamp down on the haphazard placement of dockless bikes in parks and streets.
Lime and Mobike share bikes are being taken on more than 22,000 trips throughout inner Sydney each week, recent figures from the two operators show.
The NSW government last year flagged Manly as the location for the state's first shareable electric scooter trial.