Curbing e-bike nuisance in Coventry

Fines issues to people riding e-bikes, e-scooters and pedal bikes through city centre leads to marked improvement in safety. 

Coventry City Council reports a marked improvement on the behaviour of those riding e-bikes, e-scooters and pedal bikes in the months since it introduced measures including fixed penalty notices and the seizure of bikes.

Photograph courtesy of Coventry City Council

E-bikes and e-scooters are very popular with riders. They’re also a green alternative to conventional modes of transport and can lead to less congestion on the roads and a corresponding improvement in air quality.  

Yet they can also be a hazard to pedestrians. Last year, Coventry City Council responded to safety concerns expressed by residents and visitors to the city centre about the speed at which e-bikes, e-scooters and pedal cycles were being ridden through the pedestrianised parts of the city and the risk of collisions. Concerns were also raised about unused e-bikes obstructing public walkways. 

In November, the council amended the Coventry City Centre Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), which has been in operation since 2017, to directly address these concerns and ban the riding of e-bikes, e-scooters and pedal cycles within a designated ‘protected zone’. Since then, local police, the council and officers from the business improvement district (BID) have been enforcing the new rules and issuing penalties where needed.  

Under Section 59 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, councils can establish a PSPO covering a specific geographical area to restrict activities and behaviour that have a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality, or that can be deemed unreasonable. 

Early evidence suggests that the revised PSPO has been very successful. In the first six months of operation, more than 200 e-cyclists have been seen to dismount in pedestrianised areas, while 21 fixed penalty fines have been issued and five bikes seized. 

Cllr Patricia Hetherton, Cabinet Member for City Services at Coventry City Council, says: ‘We have seen a large number of e-cyclists dismounting when they get to the city centre which is positive news. We have put up lots of signage telling riders that they could be fined £100 if they ignore the order. Also, a number of joint operations between the police, council and BID have been held to take enforcement action, however we have still found a small minority ignoring the new legislation.’ 

Sergeant Adam Lewis from West Midlands Police adds: ‘We have been regularly carrying out patrols and targeted operations around e-bikes in the city centre. Over the last couple of months, we’ve held a number of multi-agency operations to target anti-social behaviour, begging and shoplifting, as well as the ongoing issue of e-bikes. Along with seizing a number of e-bikes, these operations have helped us build a strong relationship with our partners from the local authority and the BID, reducing ASB as we head into the summer holidays.’ 

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