Cycle ban proposal for Nuneaton Town Centre
Just a quick thing...
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A Nuneaton police inspector has requested a cycling ban for Nuneaton’s town centre, to deal with antisocial cycling – with the specific issue of young people pulling wheelies cited as a reason why it’s required(!)
The request submitted to Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council by Inspector Kris Shore comes hot on the heals of a similar proposal by Coventry City Council which is also proposing to ban cycling and e-scooter riding in the city centre. The issues with a blanket ban on cycling in Nuneaton are similar to those in Coventry:
- it punishes everyone for the actions of a few,
- it’s discriminatory where people may find cycling easier than walking,
- and it cuts off safer routes avoiding the ring-road while reducing the attractiveness of cycling to town versus driving.
To be clear, it is right to tackle antisocial cycling where it puts people at risk. The town centre is a pedestrianised space and people walking and wheeling must be given priority. People riding must do so slowly, giving space, and being prepared to stop if necessary. However, a blanket ban is not needed to address this.
A ban is only as good as its enforcement, otherwise it’s a ban on paper only. Officers are required who can stop riders and deal with them in the manner deemed appropriate. Therefore, all that is needed is an extension of the definition of antisocial behaviour to include careless or dangerous riding. Anyone cycling with care and consideration to others can do so without worry, while those travelling too fast, riding aggressively, or pulling stunts close to other people can be stopped.
Repeating a paragraph from the Coventry article, “implementing a blanket ban to tackle the specific issue of inconsiderate or dangerous riders is a “sledgehammer to crack a nut” approach. The Council and police should absolutely tackle riding that puts others at risk, but this should be specific using targeted enforcement rather than by penalising careful riders. Nuance and discretion is also important. What might be dangerous when the centre is packed, might not be at quiet times.”
A child pulling a wheelie when the town is quiet and they’re not near anyone else is really not a problem. Do the same on a busy market day in close quarters with pedestrians and it’s a different story. Riding at 10mph during peak time on a Saturday would maybe be problematic – but is carefully crawling along at 4-5mph really an issue?
Nuneaton’s pedestrianisation is currently time limited where motor vehicles are allowed into the town centre outside of specific times. Earlier this month it was reported that market stall holders are facing abuse from drivers trying to access the town centre. In a clear case of double standards, the response from Warwickshire Police here was not to ask for an extension to the driving ban, but to simply ask that drivers “be patient”!
A ban on cycling is not going to cause specific antisocial behaviour issues to stop. It needs enforcement to back it up. However, it does immediately discourage cycling to and through town by those who are otherwise careful and considerate, who run the risk of being stopped and fined for no justifiable reason other than the blanket ban.
This is ultimately a meaningless exercise that makes Nuneaton/Warwickshire Police look like they’re doing something to address a problem, while doing exactly nothing except making things worse for everyone else.
Update: 16 October 2023, 13:18 – Freedom of Information Request
In an attempt to discover the scale of the supposed problem with cycling in the town centre, I have this afternoon sent a Freedom of Information Request through to Warwickshire Police, as follows:
Please could you provide the following information in relation to cycling in or through the pedestrianised area of Nuneaton Town Centre (“The Area”), between January 2022 and September 2023 (inclusive), broken down by calendar month.
1a. The number of complaints logged by Warwickshire Police in relation to actual or perceived cycling offences in The Area.
1b. Of these, the number relating to the same but which occurred during times when motor vehicle access was permitted.
2a. The number of people stopped by police/PCSOs in The Area for cycling-related behaviours (for example, but not limited to, excessive speed, inconsiderate riding, dangerous riding etc.)
2b. Of these, the number relating to the same but which occurred during times when motor vehicle access was permitted.
3a. The number of FPNs issued or prosecutions sought for cycling-related behaviours in The Area.
3b. Of these, the number relating to the same but which occurred during times when motor vehicle access was permitted.
4a. A breakdown of the number of incidents of people killed, seriously injured, or injured in The Area where the cause is attributable to the actions of a person riding a cycle.
4b. Of these, the number relating to the same but which occurred during times when motor vehicle access was permitted.
Thank you.
FoI Request to Warwickshire Police
The response to this request must be made within 20 working days – by the end of Monday 13 November 2023.
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