Southwark residents can now cap a 20-minute Lime ride at £1.75, or buy a 30-minute Voi bundle for £1.75. You need a library card for Lime and proof of address for Voi.

Southwark residents can now hire a Lime or Voi e-bike for £1.75 a ride, under discount deals the council confirmed on Monday.

The offer was first announced in the summer. On 26 October the council published the details, including who qualifies and how to apply. The two operators offer slightly different deals, and you sign up with each one separately.

Lime Voi
Southwark rate No more than £1.75 for a 20-minute ride £1.75 for a 30-minute bundle, valid for one day
Normal price Up to £7.00 for 20 minutes, pay as you go £2.99 for the same bundle
What you need A Southwark Presents library card and photo ID Proof of your Southwark address
Where it applies Only on rides that start in Southwark Not restricted in the council’s instructions
How long to approve “Within a few days” About 3 days

All the prices are the council’s own figures. It describes the Voi price as a 40% cut on the standard rate.

Bar chart of e-bike prices for Southwark residents. A 20-minute Lime ride costs up to £7.00 on pay as you go, and is capped at £1.75 with the Southwark discount. A 30-minute Voi bundle costs £2.99 normally and £1.75 at the Southwark rate. Lime's discount applies only to rides that start in Southwark.
The Southwark rates against the operators' normal prices, as given by the council on 26 October 2026. Chart by Dulwich Today
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How to get the Lime discount

Lime’s offer runs through its existing Lime Access scheme. The council’s instructions say you need two things:

  • a valid Southwark Presents card, which is the borough’s library card
  • photo ID: a passport, photocard driving licence, biometric residence permit, armed forces ID, Frontier Worker Permit or Post Office PASS card

You then apply on the Lime Access page, check that the phone number and email match your Lime account, and upload pictures of both sides of the card and the ID. Once Lime accepts you, the discount applies by itself.

The catch is the start point. Only rides that begin in Southwark get the cap. A ride home from Brixton, Lewisham or the West End is charged at the normal rate, even if it ends in Dulwich.

If you do not have a library card

You can join Southwark Libraries online, which gives you a temporary membership number straight away. The physical card, which doubles as the Southwark Presents card, has to be collected in person. Take the temporary number and one proof of address, such as a recent utility bill, bank statement or driving licence.

Plan which library you use. Dulwich Library is still closed for refurbishment with no reopening date, and Nunhead Library is temporarily shut for maintenance, according to the council’s library pages. Our Dulwich Library story has the latest. Grove Vale, Peckham and Camberwell libraries are the nearest alternatives; Grove Vale is now closed on Wednesdays.

How to get the Voi discount

Voi’s offer is applied for inside its app, according to the council:

  1. Open the Voi app and tap the Help icon.
  2. Choose Chat with us and ask about discounts in London.
  3. Pick the Voi 4 Southwark option.
  4. Fill in your details and upload proof of address, then send it.

Voi accepts a gas, electricity or water bill (not a mobile phone bill), a current council tax bill, a bank or credit card statement, a letter from HMRC, or a driving licence showing your address. Approval takes about three days. After that you can buy the £1.75 bundle, which gives 30 minutes of riding within one day.

Forest is next

The e-bike operator Forest is not part of the deal yet. The council says it is still working on a similar offer and expects it to be available “in the new year”. No price has been given.

The leader of the council, Councillor James McAsh, said the deals would “make it cheaper for residents to get around by bike”. He added that the council would “continue to monitor these agreements to make sure they work for people in Southwark.”

What it means for you

  • If you already ride Lime regularly from Dulwich or Peckham, the library card route is worth the trip: a 20-minute ride capped at £1.75 instead of up to £7.00.
  • If you ride for longer than 20 minutes, Voi’s 30-minute bundle at the same price may suit you better.
  • You can apply to both. Neither the council nor the operators say you have to choose.
  • Park in a marked bay where there is one. Southwark has been adding dockless bike bays to streets across the borough, including Elm Grove and Champion Park; our roadworks and travel page lists the latest.

Sources