Leeds city centre set for new signs urging delivery riders to dismount when busy amid concerns over 'speed'
New signs are set to be installed amid growing concerns over the number and “speed” of delivery riders operating on pedestrianised city centre streets.
Leeds City Council said new signage would be put in place on Briggate and surrounding pedestrianised streets, where up the authority said up to 60,000 people walk every day.
It comes after “continued” reports were made to the council about safety concerns over delivery riders using e-bikes on pedestrian streets.
The signs will urge cyclists and e-bike riders to dismount during busy periods on the streets, the council said.
Coun Jonathan Pryor said: “We know that delivery cyclists provide a very important service for local businesses and people in the city, however it is clear that some pedestrians feel unsafe with the number of delivery cyclists in some of our busiest spaces.
“We’ve put significant investment towards new, fully segregated cycling infrastructure around the city centre, with more to come in 2025. We also work closely with delivery companies to get messages about safe cycling out to their riders. However, with the volume of complaints that we receive we want to step up our approach.
“We hope that the new signs and the legislation in place will help keep our city centre safe for pedestrians, without inconveniencing day-to-day cyclists.”
The new measures are being introduced as the council said that people were increasingly using food delivery services.
Delivery cyclists in particular provide an important service for the public and businesses, the authority added, as it warned that the the signage was not intended to deter them from serving businesses in pedestrianised areas.
The council confirmed that the new signage was being backed up by local legislation, which prohibits the use of vehicles in a way that poses a danger to pedestrians.