Strolling down a pedestrianised high street, you suddenly leap aside as a bicycle laden with food delivery bags whizzes by at breakneck speed, narrowly missing shoppers. It’s an all-too-familiar scene in British cities, where the rise of app-based food couriers has brought a new menace to urban life: the souped-up electric bike.
Clocking speeds of up to 30mph, many of these two-wheeled terrors are not actually bicycles but illegal electric motorbikes modified to evade regulation. Ridden with reckless abandon by harried gig economy workers incentivised to make as many deliveries as possible, they pose a real danger to pedestrians. Calls are growing for a crackdown – but some councils have taken a controversially broad-brush approach.
Banning Bikes to Curb Courier Chaos
Birmingham recently announced plans to outlaw cycling entirely in parts of its centre, grouping bicycles with antisocial nuisances like street drinking and graffiti. It’s one of several UK cities, Labour and Conservative-led alike, seeking to restrict cycling access to pedestrianised zones in response to disruptive delivery riders.
While the intent is understandable, this shotgun solution risks punishing all cyclists for the sins of a minority. As pointed out by cycling advocates, the real issue is not bicycles themselves but the illegal use of overpowered electric motorbikes by some couriers. Lumping in regular bikes is like banning all cars to prevent illegal street racing.
Delivery Dilemmas: Motorbikes Masquerading as Bicycles
By law, electrically-assisted bicycles in the UK are limited to 15.5mph and must be propelled by pedalling. But many delivery workers, under intense pressure to complete orders swiftly, resort to illegal “e-bikes” that are de facto electric mopeds capable of much higher speeds. Often stripped of pedals entirely and equipped with powerful motors and throttles, they fall into a regulatory grey area.
“Many of the food delivery machines involved in close calls with pedestrians are not bicycles. They are illegal electric motorbikes.
Blaming all cyclists on their behalf is about as rational as banning all cars to prevent illegal street racing.”
– Peter Walker, author of ‘The Miracle Pill’ and Guardian writer on cycling issues
These souped-up rides are a product of the gig economy model used by food delivery platforms. Classing riders as self-employed contractors paid per delivery puts immense pressure on them to work long hours at high speeds, incentivising the use of overpowered vehicles. Addressing this may require a more fundamental rethink of how such services operate.
Crackdowns and Contradictions in Cycling Policy
The blunt approach of banning bicycles from pedestrian areas to tackle a minority of rogue riders seems to contradict the government’s stated aim to boost cycling. Active travel advocates argue it will deter cyclists of all stripes by forcing them to mix with motor traffic on roads. At a time of initiatives to promote walking and cycling, such bans send a muddled message.
Some also detect a whiff of anti-cycling sentiment underpinning the moves, with the “cycling problem” a more politically palatable target than the thorny issue of gig economy worker exploitation. Notably, there have been no equivalent calls to banish cars from city centres over the dangerous driving of some.
Seeking Solutions Beyond the Cycle Lane
Most agree that pedestrian safety is paramount and the hazardous antics of rogue delivery riders cannot be ignored. But many argue the solution lies in enforcing existing laws on electric vehicles, rather than penalising cyclists as a whole:
- Cracking down on the use of illegal, overpowered e-bikes
- Clarifying regulations around electric cycles and mopeds
- Working with delivery firms to ensure rider compliance
- Providing dedicated space for cyclists separate from pedestrians
Others contend that the rise of reckless delivery riders is a symptom of wider societal issues that cannot be fixed by enforcement alone. Tackling precarious gig work, inadequate cycling infrastructure, and our growing reliance on speedy doorstep deliveries may be key to a lasting solution that works for all road users.
As the lines blur between bicycles and mopeds, and our streets strain under new pressures, untangling this transport tension will take fresh thinking. In the meantime, the spectre of sweeping cyclist bans risks sending UK cities’ fitful cycling ambitions veering off track.
