Lime Bikes cash in on tube walk out

This week in London, Underground workers walked out in a strike, causing severe disruption across much of the Tube network, leaving commuters scrambling for alternatives. Buses, Overground, Elizabeth Line services are stretched; roads are more chaotic; and more than a few people are dusting off their walking shoes.

Into that void rides Lime. The bike and e-scooter operator has emerged as one of the clear winners of the week’s industrial action. Rental journeys on Lime’s bikes and scooters have jumped significantly during the strike period, especially during morning commuting hours.

Lime’s new activation is called “Good Service on All Limes”, a clever twist on the Tube-announcement phrase “Good service on all lines.” Created with agency The Or, the campaign leans into a pun, reminding Londoners: when the Tube is down, Limes are still up.

The campaign is running across digital, out-of-home (OOH), and social media, with Lime reporting a 50% increase in e-bike & e-scooter usage during morning peak (7am-11am) in the first two days of the strike vs the same period the previous week.

Journeys are longer in both distance and duration, meaning people are using Lime for full commutes, not just “first/last mile.”

OOH