After I raised the anti-social and criminal use of souped-up e-cycles and off-road motorbikes in the Scottish Parliament last week, my inbox has been packed with complaints about the problems caused by dangerous cyclists.
Many were about the terrorising of neighbourhoods and widespread use of powered bikes by thieves ─ now becoming known as roadmen, which I think might risk glamourising their criminality ─ but most were about the recklessness of fast food delivery riders, now ubiquitous in big cities.
Never mind the Highway Code, most of us will have witnessed how little heed these riders pay to the safety of pedestrians simply walking along the pavement.
There are many good reasons why these delivery operations need a proper licencing system with tougher regulation and policing, but it isn’t just because of the way they pay no attention to the normal rules of the road.
Of course, they are fortunate that Edinburgh Council has spent millions on separate bike lanes, which they seem largely to have to themselves, but the speeds some of these bikes achieve without any obvious pedalling must be well over the 15mph maximum capability; but what checks are run to ensure they are legal?
The companies put the onus on the individual, but the more they deliver, the more they get paid, so there is an incentive to speed. There is a suspicion that those big hand covers are not just to keep them warm but to conceal illegal throttles.
Then there is hygiene. The restaurants supplying the food might be subject to stringent regulations and regular inspections, but what about those backpacks?
How regularly are they cleaned or inspected? Burst containers and spillages must be commonplace, so what is done to make sure they are not breeding grounds for bacteria?
The couriers seem remarkably reluctant to wear helmets or indeed the recommended hi-viz clothing, but they are happy to wear balaclavas and masks, even in the height of summer, and black clothing. At speed and without lights they can be impossible for other road users to see, so bright helmets should be mandatory.
So, here’s an idea. They should all need licences from the council, with their photographs and they should also be able to prove they are able to work legally in the UK.
If it costs £238 for a cab driver’s licence and £146 for an annual renewal, then I see no reason why delivery couriers shouldn’t be charged something similar.
Maybe it would reduce the number of couriers, but most of these services are delivering unhealthy food and are an incentive for people to hole up in their homes, rather than getting some fresh air and exercise, even if only briefly. It might actually be good for the nation’s health.
It might need legislation, but rather than table a completely new bill ─ there is already a queue of private members bills, most of which have little chance of ever becoming law ─ it would be easier to add an amendment to suitable legislation going through Holyrood, particularly government bills for which time will be set aside.
With an election only seven months away, there is little chance of anything happening in this parliament, but when people are heartily sick of what has become a scourge on our streets because there’s no proper control, the law needs changing.
