An SNP councillor from Glasgow has urged delivery riders to learn and obey the Highway Code, amidst concerns about traffic offences committed by such cyclists led to the proposal of license plates and insurance by his peer. However, the council said it will not support such measures, citing a “significant detrimental impact” on active travel.
In recent times, there has been an increase in tickets issed by the police force to cyclists in the city centre for jumping red lights and riding on the pavement, with a lot of them being cyclists using e-bikes and working for food delivery services, reports Glasgow Live.
At a meeting earlier this week, Labour councillor Patricia Ferguson raised the question of bringing in new licensing rules and an insurance requirement.
She asked if discussions had taken place with the government on the “possibility of introducing a licensing system and insurance requirement for those who ride delivery bikes.”
However, SNP councillor Angus Millar, Convener for climate, transport and city centre recovery, said it was uncertain how any new regulations would work however, and said the council couldn’t support licensing for all cyclists in case it would dissuade people from being on bikes.
SNP Councillor Millar said: “Local police operations, with council engagement, have had a particular focus on delivery riders.
“In my capacity as a local member for the city centre, I have also met with local police and representatives from delivery companies to impress upon them the importance of reinforcing the rules and responsibilities of the Highway Code among their riders.”
He added: “A licensing system or insurance requirement for delivery riders would likely require legislative change, likely at UK Government level. While I have discussed these issues with various parliamentarians, no formal discussions have taken place with either the UK or Scottish Government regarding this.”
Expressing doubt over how new laws would work, he said: “It should be noted that it is unclear how any such legislation or regulations could be targeted at a specific user group as opposed to all people on bikes, and it is not known how it would be enforced.
“The council would not support any general move to introduce licensing requirements for cycling as this would have a significant detrimental impact on our agreed active travel behaviour change efforts.”
> Is there anywhere cyclists are required to be licensed, and how has it gone in the past?
The subject of number plates and insurance has been brought up time and time again, however, many experts have argued that the idea is not feasible and difficult to implement, while also making it harder for people to ride bikes.
Speaking to road.cc in 2022, city planner and urban mobility expert Brent Toderian said: “As those who are actually informed on the issue point out all the reasons why it’s far too expensive, won’t work, and would be detrimental to actual stated public goals. Usually the conversation is initiated by the same people who would rather see fewer bikes and less safe bike infrastructure.”
In August 2022, the UK had flirted with the idea much to the dread of millions of cyclists in the country when then Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that cyclists should be insured, carry licence plates on their bikes, and be subject to the same speed limits as motorists.
However, it took him only three days to backtrack from his statement, insisting that the government has “no plans to introduce registration plates” for cyclists.
Most recently, in November last year, former Met Police chief Lord Hogan-Howe reignited the discussion in the House of Lords, claiming that cyclists should need “a registration plate somewhere on the back” in order to avoid being “entirely unaccountable”.
Meanwhile, in October, Cycling Scotland had called on food delivery companies to provide couriers “effective training around cycling safety” and check the bikes they ride “are legal and roadworthy”.
The comments come after a Glasgow cyclist said that he had been left “terrified” after a collision involving a courier riding the wrong way along a two-way cycle lane, the police admitting that some couriers are riding bikes that are “absolutely” not legal.
Just today, the UK Government announced it is planning to consult on doubling the legal wattage of electric bike motors to 500W. National charity Cycling UK has raised concerns about the decision, calling it a “huge safety risk to pedestrians and others who cycle”.
25 thoughts on “Councillor urges delivery riders to learn the Highway Code to ward off licensing or insurance rules that would have a “detrimental impact” on cycling”
How about delivery riders
How about delivery riders being registered with the local authority while also agreeing to cycle proficiency (highway code awareness included) for those that never had the opportunity? It’s not quite a license but it’s a step towards responsibility….
Why why would the local
Why why would the local authority want that cost? They struggle to provide basic services so why would they wish to hire staff to register and train riders / app delivery companies. Now if the companies paid for it – but then, they wouldn’t.
Make sure the bikes are legal
Make sure the bikes are legal and not illegal motorbikes.
I did talk to a PSCO in town this month when he was putting out bike lock labels. When I mentioned illegal bikes he said the delivery people turnover was too high to actually educate anyone.
Or the PCSOs could spend a
Or the PCSOs could spend a Thursday eve outside the local McDonald’s and seize illegal bikes. Then spend Friday at Burger King and Saturday outside KFC. That would be some efficient policing
Where I live, there are so
Where I live, there are so few police about that they sometimes have to come from other towns at the w/e. I suspect the pscos have to constantly go from town to town across essex and have no scope to follow your good suggestion.
Are PCSOs empowered for such
Are PCSOs empowered for such Dredd-like antics as seizing illegal bikes?
That’s a good point. Well
That’s a good point. Well over a decade ago, I was approached by Deliveroo – then a relatively ‘small’ startup with an office in central London, off Tottenham Court Road – to train their riders. I went for several meetings and began to understand the scale of the problem – first of all the number of riders they had and the turn over was huge. Even with a limitless budget and unlimited time it would have been impossible to train every rider. Riders were coming into the job and leaving on a constant conveyor belt. It was ‘ruleless’. We then opted to train several dozen of their more “experienced’ riders who would then instruct new riders. So we arranged everything; booked instructors, cycles, location but come the dates of the training hardly any one turned up – I don’t think there was any financial incentive for the riders to attend the training. The managers did try but the business model does not allow for it. It’s casual work – of the most casual sort. No one gives a f**k – just make money. If you start to train riders then things have to be formalised and that doesn’t work for the business or, indeed, for the customer – who wants cheap, crap food delivered quickly and at minimum cost.
Educate the companies …
Educate the companies …
The companies, bigger ones at
The companies, bigger ones at least, will claim they have rules & regs that delivery riders who ride for them are expected to follow.
but its the job of the police to enforce HC and laws on the roads not them.
Without enforcement by the
Without enforcement by the police or local authority people will continue to break the rules because they know there is no penalty, and therefore no financial or other incentive to comply. And this doesn’t just apply to delivery riders riding unregistered electric motorcycles.
Don’t be silly we voted to
Don’t be silly we voted to reduce red tape and bureaucracy !
A lot of delivery riders pay
A lot of delivery riders pay no attention to, and probably have no conception of, the highway code. I am constantly impressed by their free and easy riding style while not wishing to copy it. On the other hand there are loads of delivery riders only because the general public loves their services and it provides an income for lots of people who could struggle otherwise. And I think the people who complain most hate cycling anyway.
A lot of delivery riders
A lot of
delivery riderspolice officers pay no attention to, and probably have no conception of, the highway codeI get very frustrated by
I get very frustrated by being overtaken by delivery riders doing well over 20mph whilst not pedalling, but…
The only reason they ride fast, illegal, bikes and run red lights etc is so they can get deliveries done quickly enough to make something approaching a living out of their jobs. The whole business model is broken.
Steve K wrote:
Absolutely this. Go for the exploitative companies that are working these people to the bone, not those exploited by them.
So somehow the problem is
So somehow the problem is cycling and not firms, whose business model is incompatible with the observation of correct rules and standards, pressing every last cent of profit from their employees?
marmotte27 wrote:
It’s not just cycling as car and van drivers are pressured into making deliveries as fast as possible and that inevitably leads to less safe driving.
And “creative” parking (cycle
And “creative” parking (cycle lanes and indeed paths a favourite)…
Presumably the councillor is
Presumably the councillor is basing this proposal on his observance of white van delivery drivers, who always follow the HC.
Quite happy to have
Quite happy to have exceptions made to enforce and regulate delivery riders. They aren’t on bikes, they’re on electric motorbikes but sharing space with pedestrians and normal cyclists.
Some of them…
Some of them…
Not a fan of this side of the business – but getting the correct terms is important. I do think we should look at addressing things by more regulation of the “big dealers” – the companies. As others have said once you get to the small fry e.g. riders you’ve got a much bigger task, with folks who are less regular and they come and go all the time. It likely needs action at both top and bottom here (the demand side will probably always be there…)
Learning tyhe Highway Code is
Learning tyhe Highway Code is a good call, however this is about politics and stunts.
Is there an Election due there soon?
It’s not so much not being
It’s not so much not being aware of the highway code, but more a complete disregard towards it.
This applies to holder of driving licences, also, as they are already required to have a good working knowledge of the highway code, but are too often seen to have that level of disregard.
This article highlights the
This article highlights the ignorance of the elected councillors. No new laws are required, they just need to enforce the existing ones.
The vast majority of the delivery riders in Glasgow are running about on electric mopeds without helmets, no type approval, no number plates and probably no insurance.
Electric mopeds are easy to differentiate from legal e-bikes in Glasgow as they tend to zip about at > 15 mile an hour uphill without even kidding on they’re pedalling, cos they’re fitted with throttles.
Trust me, only elite athletes can hold 20mph going up West Nile Street, I can do about 10mph on a legal eMTB and I’m fairly stomping on the pedals.
Long story short, use the existing laws properly before developing new ones.
No need, it is covered by the
No need, it is covered by the Health and Safety at Work Act, under operating machinery.