WE all know how Lime, the ubiquitous green-and-white hire bike company, has angered residents and businesses alike by struggling to control rashes of dumped vehicles on London’s streets.

The pictures of overflowing bays and blocked walkways have been widely seen.
But when the company’s representatives are called before councillors at different local authorities, there’s never any discussion about another reasonable gripe about the service: the cost.

People hampered by the tube strikes this week may have turned to the bicycles as alternatives – and some will have got a shock. Harrington’s daily journey from the lofthouse in Victoria to our newspaper offices in Camden Town turned into an £11.56 ride. Make that there and back, and it’s £23 a day. No wonder Lime reported revenue of more than £110million last year in the UK alone.

Of course, there are subscriptions you can take out and different pass deals which would have brought the price down a bit – but not much. This means the people who use Lime regularly are more likely to be those with more money at their disposal.

And those with less money have to put up with the downsides – the collapsed mess of bikes at many points in the West End – without even enjoying the benefits of the service.

Think about who the last person was who defended Lime to you on the basis that they used it a lot – it was probably someone not worried about other bills.

We know there is a strong desire among Londoners for a convenient and easy-to-use hire bike service, and kick-starting a Lime ride is much easier than using the clunky Santander-sponsored bike system run by Transport for London.

But if the demand is there and it’s a valued service, why not make it a valued public service?

A nationalised e-bike scheme? The money paid per ride could go towards simply maintaining a good service, rather than lining the pockets of executives and shareholders.