Bath and North East Somerset Council recently considered deploying traffic wardens on electric bicycles as part of their parking enforcement strategy. Currently, wardens patrol the area using cars and mopeds, with plans underway to expand the team in an effort to boost revenue by £50,000 annually through increased enforcement against illegal parking.
The electric bicycle proposal was brought forward by Green councillor Saskia Heijltjes (Larkhall), who highlighted the benefits seen in Avon and Somerset Police’s use of such cycles. She argued that adopting electric pedal cycles in Bath could save money, enhance time efficiency, and improve staff wellbeing by promoting healthier, more enjoyable working conditions.
However, council officers revealed that the idea had already been explored and deemed impractical. A key obstacle is the current inability to integrate essential number plate recognition technology onto electric bicycles. This technology is critical for officers to identify and issue penalties to vehicles violating parking regulations while on patrol.
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Beyond technology constraints, officers stressed that efficiency in reaching various locations is vital. Delays caused by slower travel modes could reduce overall enforcement effectiveness, undermining the goal of managing traffic flow and addressing illegal parking promptly.
The council remains open to revisiting the idea as technology evolves but emphasizes that current alternatives—cars and mopeds—provide the necessary speed and tech support to meet enforcement demands. This comes at a time when the expansion of residents' parking zones in Bath continues to challenge parking management, pushing problem parking to the city’s outskirts.
Additionally, the council is considering adjusting parking permit fees based not only on vehicle emissions but also on vehicle size, aiming to encourage ownership of smaller, safer cars that minimize congestion and reduce accident risks on narrow streets.