West Yorkshire police chief points finger at council cuts over e-bike safety fears
West Yorkshire’s top police officer has suggested that dangerous use of e bikes in public spaces is linked to council cuts.
West Yorkshire Police’s Chief Constable has suggested that dangerous use of e bikes in public spaces is linked to council cuts.
Chief Constable Sir John Robins was responding to concerns raised by a West Yorkshire councillor about the use of illegal e bikes in parks and green spaces across the region.
He argued that the issue was one that could have been dealt with by park wardens and youth workers – had councils in West Yorkshire still properly funded such services.
He said it was “harsh” to lay the blame for such issues on police, and suggested councillors raise the issue at future budget meetings.
The discussion over illegal e bike use took place at a meeting of the West Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel last week,
During the meeting Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Alison Lowe told the panel – made up of councillors from across West Yorkshire - that illegal e bike use was a “massive” issue.
She said she had even seen someone riding an illegal e bike on a motorway.
To be classed as legal, an e bike needs to also have pedals and be capable of a maximum speed of 15mph.
However, in recent years more powerful e bikes have become a common sight on streets across the country – despite being illegal.
At Friday’s meeting Coun Janet Russell (Green, Craven) said illegal bikes were causing problems in the region’s parks, and were intimidating for may park users. She said: “There is a problem with illegal e bikes and scooters in our parks and green spaces.
“They’re going around at quite high speeds in places where there are vulnerable people and young children.”
Ms Lowe said: “The issue is a massive one. We’re working with Government about the really poor messaging around e bikes
“We need a strategic response from Government and to stop the supply. Businesses are selling them and not giving buyers the right information – you can ride them, but not on public streets.
“We’re doing a lot of work with the food industry because a lot of the bikes are linked to food deliveries.
“There is a lot of things the Government needs to catch up with – this is a daily problem for policing. When we did our police and crime plan consultation this was one of the issues that was nearly at the top.”
Referring to Coun Russell’s question, Chief Constable Robins said: “The park wardens that the Councils used to employ could have stopped that, as could the youth workers the Council used to employ and deploy in the evening. They could have stopped that, as could the PCSOs that Council’s used to deploy – so it’s a joint responsibility.
“The irony of it is you’re asking one organisation about something that is a joint responsibility for community safety on land owned by the Council.
“We will do our bit, but it is a bit harsh to land it all on the police, because guess what? When you’re in your Council budget meetings and you say we don’t have the money to do this anymore – that is the same as what is happening with the police.
“Let’s not blame it on one organisation, I’d urge you at your Council meetings to ask what is being done to divert young people away from that sort of behaviour.”
Chair of the committee, Wakefield councillor Maureen Cummings, said many of the riders were people who “should know better.”
She said: “Until you (police) or us as a Council get more firm legislation as to what we can do there isn’t much we can do.
“It is frightening, particularly when they get on the pavements, including the delivery drivers. It should really be stopped.”
Ms Lowe said she had written to the Department for Transport about the issue, and said the legislation was currently “wishy washy.”
She said one way to tackle illegal e bikes was by adding their use to existing public space protection orders.
Bradford Currently has a PSPO that allows council wardens to take action over people involved in anti social driving. She said: “That would allow the local authority to give a spot fine to people that are stopped on pavements.”