thirdcrank wrote:If a public authority has regulations that it wants to enforce and if it's within its remit to contract this out then that might be a very efficient and effective way of doing it. For a private company to undertake the contract, it does not imply that it is pro or anti anything. If the company does not perform properly, then action needs to be taken.
It seems to me that the issue highlighted here is that Bedford council has wrongly used anti-unsocial behaviour regulations to make an order which criminalises utility cycling. Dealing with that should IMO be the focus of any campaigning effort. The rest is IMO red herrings. Anyway, the interest on the wider forum seems to be zilch.
Well I agree that asb laws should not be used for criminalising going shopping/to the pub by bike, however the private company is not a red herring at all.
I saw this in my local paper yesterday.
https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey ... p-15881844Nice weather more people cycling, police go out to warn people they could be fined for cycling through red lights
No fines actually issued.
The difference is that a private company only really cares about profit whereas the police are concerned with enforcing whichever laws various stakeholders want them to enforce.
I think that contracting out these fines will tend to result in a similar outcome because there's clear incentive to issue as many fines as possible.
That's not withstanding the argument that the regulations themselves are ultra vires.