Bradford Council’s powers to crack down on ‘anti-social’ driving are likely to be extended by three years, with very few people being fined.
Since the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) was introduced in 2019, just 70 motorists have been fined for their harassing behavior. The order, which can only legally last for three years, was an attempt to crack down on drivers who caused a nuisance with their driving, but didn’t necessarily break the law.
This includes those who crank their engines loudly, yell insults or salacious comments from their cars, play music too loud, drive dangerously or menacingly, or use their cars in “annoying” ways.
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People would also be prohibited from “loitering” as part of a group of parked vehicles.
The order expires this summer and at a meeting of Bradford’s Regulatory and Appeals Committee later this month, members will be asked to extend it.
Following a public consultation on the proposals earlier this year, 70 per cent of respondents said they felt unsafe in Bradford due to vehicle injuries. Leeds Road, Buttershaw and Manningham have been identified as hotspots for “anti-social” driving.
When it was launched in July 2019, motorists were told anti-social driving could now land them with a fixed penalty of £100 and a fine of up to £1,000 if not paid.
According to one report, however, only 70 fixed decisions have been issued so far. Of those 70, only three motorists refused to pay the fines, leading to prosecution and a £1,000 fine from the courts. The report says the Covid pandemic and subsequent lockdowns were likely behind the small number of notices issued.
The consultation to extend the order drew 1,471 votes, with 95 percent supporting the three-year extension.
People were asked what problems they had encountered, answers included: “People park side by side on the street, not caring about other drivers”, driving on the wrong side of the street, blocking street entrances, parking nearby yellow zigzag lines from school entrances and cars used for selling drugs.
When asked which roads or areas posed a particular problem for anti-social driving, respondents answered: Great Horton, Little Horton, Girlington, Manningham, Leeds Road, Duckworth Lane, the M606, BD4, the outskirts of the city centre, Shipley, Manningham, Heaton, Great Horton, Killinghall, Keighley and the country lanes around the neighboring villages of Marsh Lane, Oxenhope, Buttershaw and Wibsey Park.
The report stated that “dangerous, reckless and anti-social driving” could have a serious impact on people’s sense of safety, and the problem has been reported regularly.
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