Lime has partnered with what3words to help people report mis-parked e-bikes as the number of dockless e-bikes and scooters continues to expand

Micromobility firm Lime has partnered with mapping provider what3words to help members of the public report mis-parked e-bikes and scooters more easily.

The mapping company’s technology divides the earth’s surface into 57 trillion three-metre squares. A unique three-word address is assigned to each square, intended to identify exact locations that are not captured by conventional address systems, like large parks.

As the numbers of dockless e-bikes and scooters continues to expand in cities, the technology will be utilised by Lime to identify the exact location of mis-parked or abandoned devices.

Micromobility firms have placed an increased emphasis on technology that improves the safety and usability of their services in recent months, particularly in the UK, where the government has authorised e-scooter trials in over a dozen cities.

Florence Milner, Lime’s General Manager for UK and Ireland, said: Lime has invested in industry-leading safeguards to ensure the vast majority of our users park responsibly. However, we know shared schemes can sometimes create parking challenges, which is why we’re proud to be partnering with what3words to ensure any issues can be identified and rectified even faster, making sure our service really does deliver for everyone.

The firm also says the partnership will support it in reaching its Ride Green 2025 carbon negative target by ensuring its operations team avoid unnecessary mileage trying to find the devices.

Last week Lime announced a partnership with transit mapping app Citymapper to allow users to easily locate Lime’s e-bikes and scooters in 21 major cities around the world.

While users will be able to find Lime’s vehicles within the app, they will still need to switch over to the Lime app to rent a device, and switch back to Citymapper or another navigation app to find the most bike-friendly route.