Coventry councillors call for delivery drivers to face stricter checks after a rise in serious crashes
Coventry councillors want the Government to introduce a licensing system with DBS checks for drivers and local authority licences for their vehicles
Delivery drivers will need to register with HMRC and undergo a disclosure and barring service (DBS) check before starting work if the Government delivers on a call from Coventry City Council.
Vehicles used – cars, motorbikes, scooters and e-bikes – would also need to be licensed by the local authority and in relation to e-bikes, riders would need to wear helmets and no illegal modifications carried out to increase the speed.
Councillors at the latest full council council meeting at Coventry’s Council House voted to send the package of measures to Parliament after hearing that there had been a significant increase in road traffic accidents involving courier and food delivery vehicles both within Coventry and across the UK.
Cllr Naeem Akhtar told the meeting that even though drivers were in contact with all members of society including the vulnerable, women and children, there were no safeguards or checks in place. And he added that records showed around 70 people are killed each year by delivery vehicles with another 2,000 seriously injured.
He said: “This sector is growing every single day. For the safety of the public and for the safety of those working in the industry we call on the government to introduce a licensing regime similar to the one in place for taxi and private hire drivers.
Cllr Mal Mutton seconded the motion and said: “I’m all for cleaner, more accessible forms of transport but there has to be legislation around it. These delivery bikes seem to go where they want, when they want, without any consequence and pose a real danger to pedestrians, particularly those who are visually or hearing impaired or have limited mobility.
Cllr Jackie Gardiner said the bikes were being ridden contrary to the public space protection order (PSPO) in place in Coventry city centre and added: “The key problem is that it is very hard to stop a bike travelling at speed and there is no way to track the bike or rider after it has whizzed by. The elderly are so at risk that they are abandoning the town centre and choosing to shop elsewhere rather than risk injury or early death.”
She proposed a scheme calling for e-bikes to carry licence plates similar to other vehicles so that they could be traced but this was voted down.
Cllr Peter Male said: “The Conservative group has long been calling for action to address e-bike use in the city centre and it is therefore pleasing to see this motion brought forward . I acknowledge that the use of PSPOs have sought to address the problem of illegal bikes speeding through the precinct and I also acknowledge that recent police activity in the city centre has sought to address the use of illegally modified e-bikes and to identify illegal migrants using them.
“But we must go much further in our efforts both locally and nationally to address these problems. It will require legislation to catch up with rapidly moving technology if we are to address the points raised in the motion and ultimately make people feel safer.”