Fixed Penalty Notice shemes for bike parking?

[Pete Shep]

Hi there,

Below is a short item from Leeds City Council's propaganda sheet/paper that goes out to all residents.

Headline On your bike!

"Leeds City Council has launched a new initiative to encourage cyclists to chain their bicycles to specially designed stands in the city centre, and not to street furniture. City Centre Liason Officers will attach `Fixed Penalty Notice' leaflets to the offending bikes. These leaflets highlight the potential dangers of chaining bikes to street furniture and will provide details of where people can find the city's many cycle stands."

I've e-mailed the council to try and find out more. Has anyone else experienced similar policies by local authorities elsewhere?

Cheers,
Pete

[gar]

The fixed penalty being the theft of bike by bent Council officials... an original idea borrowed from none other than South west Trains;

See CTC HQ campaigner for details.

[gar]

will provide details of where people can find the city's many cycle(s)

ha! Ha! Ha! HA Bloody HA

[Jon]

Nothing like that from my local council (Runnymede, Surrey), yet.

So what's Leeds Council's policy on cars parked on pavements, in cycle lanes, etc? Are they issuing fixed penalty notices to encourage them to use the car parking provided? Or isn't that worth mentioning in a newsletter?

[troywinters]

it's not an actual fine I believe, just a leaflet like the ones we stick on bikes which aren't properly locked up.

[gar]

Bloke just about to steal bike :

You shouldn't leave your bike there; I was just going to move it for you.

[Pete Shep]

I'm sure you're right Troy. I can't help thinking its a poor choice of phraseology though. I think it will be more likely to antagonise than to persuade.

I'm not sure the timing was that opportune either, given the reports from the Dept. of Transport yesterday showed West Yorkshire was 'not on track' to meet its core cycling targets.

[zeb]

I remember one of colleagues last year complaining that a council worker / copper had left a note on her windscreen suggesting that since a mobile phone charging cable was in plain view someone might have broken into her car looking for a phone.

We all wondered why we paid our taxes.

[gar]

I decided years ago never to own things that other people wanted and then I would have no trouble with thieves.

I make one exception ..... there is always an invisible chain between me aand my bike. When I go anywhere I never let it out of my sight for more than a few seconds. I always seem to get bikes with temperament and they might just wander off.

[bikerdave]

Pete
Have you heard of the Leeds Cycling Action Group? Among other things they meet with Leeds City Council regularly and deal with all issues concerning local cyclists. Have a look at their website www.leedscyclists.org.uk for contact details, membership is very cheap too.

dave (from leeds!)

[Doug]

Home Office leaflet on cycle security says lock bike to "robust street furniture, parking meters, railings" but park it "considerately where it will not cause danger or obstruction to others". It also says "if provision is inadequate, bring this to the attention on the relevant Local Authority". Ask LCC for a sheffield stand where you usually park your bike.

[Pete Shep]

Hi Biker Dave,

Yes, I've been a member of LCAG in the past, and still get their e-mails. Part of the problem here, I think, is one of communication. LCAG do indeed meet regularly with the council, but are all the council departments represented at the Cycling Consulation Forum? - I suspect not. Looking through recent LCAG minutes I can find no mention of LCAG being roused by this new policy initiative, and the LCAG web page that ought to carry information about issues such as this does not appear to have been updated since May.

I e-mailed the Transport Department at LCC, and the tenor of the correspondence I've had so far suggests they knew nothing of this initiative. The nice chap dealing with my complaint hadn't even read the council's publication where the issue was aired, although in theory 715,000 other people may have done. (I've since directed him to it).

Partnership working ought to prevent this type of thing happening, and as I do research for the Leeds Community Safety Partnership I will ask why this new policy was allowed to contradict Home Office advice (thanks Doug for that info).

Cheers,
Pete

[bikerdave]

Hi Pete

[bikerdave]

Hi Pete
I was just wondering what's happened, have you changed your parking place and if not do you still get the notices on your bike or not? It sounds like LCC wasting taxpayers money on nonsense which is hardly a first i'm afraid, supertram for instance?
dave