Councillor Stephens (Chair) introduced the item, and highlighted:

 

a)    An increased number of complaints and concerns received by Councillors from members of the public regarding safety in the city centre, particularly related to cyclists and food delivery riders;

 

b)    The importance of ensuring a safe co-existence between riders and pedestrians;

 

c)    The changed landscape of the City Centre and food delivery trends over the past five years, which had resulted in increased cycling activity;

 

d)    The benefits of food delivery services, which delivered employment and public services;

 

e)    The need to ensure a safe coexistence in the City Centre, particularly during the ongoing transformation;

 

f)     The need to develop a greater understanding of the issues, responsibilities and potential solutions across multi-agency partners and organisations;

 

g)    A need to ensure both the safety of cyclists, and pedestrians in the City Centre;

 

h)    The variety of concerns raised, which including riding conduct, bike legality, and an enhanced impact for vulnerable residents;

 

i)     The need to ensure that good cycling standards were rewarded, while sub-standard behaviour was addressed appropriately.

 

Tracey Naismith (Head of Community Safety), Greg Bridget (Devon and Cornwall Police), Emily Bullimore (BID Street Operations & Trading Manager), Councillor Haydon (Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Libraries, Events, Cemeteries and Crematoria), Philip Robinson (Service Director for Street Services) and Councillor Coker (Cabinet Member for Transport) added:

 

a)    In 2022, Devon and Cornwall Police (D&CP), in collaboration with Plymouth City Council (PCC), had conducted proactive enforcement action of delivery riders/drivers when their conduct was not to the expected standards;

 

b)    Through engagement with riders and their representatives, PCC had worked to instigate ‘Safe Delivery Zones’ in the City, allowing riders and drivers to gather in designated zones, away from significant pedestrian activity;

 

c)    Safer Delivery Zones were signposted, illuminated, and covered by CCTV, providing riders/drivers and pedestrians security;

 

d)    Approximately 70% of the City Centre business was now conducted via deliveries;

 

e)    Earlier engagement work had highlighted that the majority of food delivery riders/drivers operated on minimum wage, and were disproportionally non-British, leading to some language barriers with engagement;

 

f)     There was a lack of legislation to support addressing conduct issues;

 

g)    Six education and engagement events had been held with PCC and D&CP, engaging companies, pedestrians and rider/drivers in the City Centre;

 

h)    While an earlier balance had been achieved, changes to e-bike specifications, food delivery demand and city centre footfall had altered the dynamics in the City Centre;

 

i)     A ‘Pedal Cycle’ was required to be limited to 15mph and have a maximum power output of 150 watts. Above these thresholds, the vehicle required insurance, registration, a driving licence, and adherence with the Road Traffic Act;

 

j)     Police held powers under the Road Traffic Act to stop an e-bike at any time to ensure its compliance with regulations;

 

k)    There had been a rising number of youths using e-bikes in an antisocial manner in the City Centre;

 

l)     The police had conducted an education event in the City Centre, prior to conducting enforcement action. On 8 February 2025, 15 e-bikes were stopped, and seven were seized for non-compliance with the Road Traffic Act;

 

m)  Consideration of vehicle and deliver access to the City Centre was ongoing as part of the City Centre re-development programme;

 

n)    The issue was shared nationally, and conversations with other authorities were ongoing to learn best practise;

 

o)    The aim was to ensure a peaceful and safe co-existence between riders and pedestrians, as well as mutually supportive responsibilities between relevant agencies. 

 

In response to questions, the Board discussed:

 

p)    Identification challenges between delivery riders, leisure riders and anti-social youths. This had the potential to lead to the false attribution of blame;

 

q)    The ‘self-employed’ status of the majority of food delivery riders/drivers, which meant they were personally responsible for their own compliance and safety;

 

r)    The need for further research into potential remedial measures, such as the introduction of by-laws to mandate safe cycling conduct and enable enforcement by organisations other than the police;

 

s)     The potential to lobby national government for the introduction of laws to support the enforcement of safe cycling conduct and pedestrian co-existence;

 

t)     The impact of cyclists in the City Centre for disabled, elderly and vulnerable groups;

 

u)    The potential for cycling conduct and safety training to be provided to retail outlets and riders;

 

v)    Ongoing work conducted by the Local Government Association (LGA) to assess best practice;

 

w)   The potential for a training and accreditation scheme to be implemented for riders and City Centre outlets.

 

The Board agreed to recommend:

 

1.    To support the ongoing education and enforcement operations undertaken by Devon and Cornwall Police in relation to e-bikes and food delivery riders in the City Centre; 

 

2.    That a Select Committee of the Scrutiny Management Board was arranged to explore further the issues of e-bikes, food delivery and cycling in the city centre; 

 

3.    That the Chair of the Scrutiny Management Board engaged with members of the City Centre Company, along with representatives from food outlets, businesses, and delivery riders, to encourage their attendance at a future select committee; 

 

4.    That the Chair of the Scrutiny Management Board, in partnership with the Cabinet Member for Community Safety, lobbied members of Parliament to investigate current progress, and lobbied for the introduction of safer measures to facilitate safe cycling in the city centre, particularly relating to food delivery and e-bikes.