- Published
From the Pentland Hills near Edinburgh to the streets of the country's biggest cities, a common menace is causing irritation, alarm and in some cases even death.
asserted
menace → publish → cases
The sight of young men, their identities hidden by black balaclavas, tearing around on electric bikes or scooters is becoming a familiar one.
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identities → hide → bikes
The picture above was taken by a man who posted on social media about "morons on electric bikes" scaring a nearby horse, external as they rode illegally on public footpaths.
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they → take → footpaths
Aside from being showered with gravel churned up by the "gobby" miscreants, no one came to harm that day, but others have not been so lucky.
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others → shower → miscreants
Earlier this year, a court was shown distressing dashcam footage of the moment a masked 18-year-old on an electric motorbike ploughed into a woman on a pedestrian crossing in Sunderland.
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old → show → Sunderland
Gloria Stephenson, 86, died at the scene.
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Stephenson → die → scene
The rider - Billy Stokoe, who had taken cannabis and was using his mobile at the time of the crash - was jailed for more than six years for causing death by dangerous driving.
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who → take → driving
Few would dispute that illegal e-bikes and scooters are a growing problem, but what can be done about it?
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what → dispute → it
Seize and destroy illegal bikes
The term e-bike is often used loosely to cover a range of different vehicles.
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term → seize → vehicles
Strictly speaking it refers to an electrically assisted pedal cycle (an EAPC) where an electric motor kicks in to take the strain off the rider while pedalling.
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motor → speak → rider
By law, the motor cuts out at 15.5mph (25km/h) and its continuous power is capped at 250 watts.
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power → cut → watts
But these safeguards are easily bypassed by "tuning kits" or software hacks that make them capable of running much faster, sometimes in excess of 40mph.
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them → bypass → mph
A quick search of online marketplaces reveals all sorts of modifications on offer, often shipped from eastern Europe, including motorbike-style twist grip throttles which allow the rider to accelerate without pedalling.
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rider → reveal → throttles
Then there are electric dirt bikes from manufacturers such as Sur-Ron which look like mountain bikes but are capable of about 50mph - and 70mph or more if modified.
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which → be → mph
Unlike legal e-bikes they require a licence and insurance to be used in public spaces or on roads.
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they → require → roads
E-scooters are also popular - despite it currently being illegal to ride them on public roads or pavements except in certain rental zones.
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it → ride → zones
What they all have in common is that they are expensive, ranging from a few hundred to several thousands of pounds, and modifications can cost hundreds of pounds more on top.
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modifications → range → top
Seizing and destroying them represents a significant penalty.
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Seizing → seize → penalty
A new law and rules introduced this summer gave police in England and Wales greater powers to seize illegal vehicles, and without the need for a formal warning if they are being used in an anti-social manner.
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they → introduce → manner
They can also now be crushed within 48 hours.
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They → crush → hours
In Scotland, ministers say they are in favour of increasing police seizure powers, although they point out bikes can already be seized under certain circumstances.
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bikes → say → circumstances
Dedicated police teams
Catching the offenders is a problem for the police - it's a crime where its very nature means the suspects have a fast and highly manoeuvrable method of escape.
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suspects → catch → escape
A patrol car can easily be evaded by heading down a narrow alleyway or through bollards.
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car → evade → bollards
David Kennedy from the Scottish Police Federation says more dangerous tactics are also employed.
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tactics → say → Federation
"These individuals on these bikes will come up one-way streets the wrong way so there's no way a police officer in a car or even on a motorbike would be safe to follow them," he told BBC Radio Scotland Breakfast.
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he → come → Breakfast
Some forces across the UK have responded to the challenge by setting up specialised units backed up by drones
In parts of inner city London, Metropolitan Police officers have been equipped with a fleet of 25 Sur-Ron dirt bikes - partly funded with proceeds of crime money.
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officers → respond → money
As part of a crackdown targeting mobile phone thefts - which in London often involve such bikes - they claim it has helped cut offences by 13,000 in a year.
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it → target → year
A number of forces have successfully used drones to track illegal e-bike riders rather than engaging in risky pursuits.
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number → use → pursuits
Officers monitor suspects from above, then their colleagues are directed to move in on foot to make seizures and arrests.
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colleagues → monitor → seizures
In Devon and Cornwall officers have also sprayed illegal riders and their bikes with SmartWater - a forensic marking product that contains a unique chemical code which becomes visible using ultraviolet light.
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which → spray → light
Action on face coverings
One of the most sinister aspects of e-bike misuse is that riders often wear black balaclavas or "ballys".
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riders → wear → balaclavas
Whether it is a practical attempt to hide their identity or part of a youth sub-culture, there is no doubt that many people find the sight of masked youths intimidating.
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sight → hide → youths
The debate about the appropriateness of wearing balaclavas in public places goes wider than e-bikes, encompassing anti-social behaviour, crime and some anti-immigration protests.
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debate → wear → behaviour
New restrictions introduced just this week under Operation Reclaim in Nottingham give police and council officers the power to order people to remove face coverings, backed up by £70 fixed penalty notices.
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restrictions → introduce → notices
Exemptions apply for religious, medical and certain other legitimate reasons.
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Exemptions → apply → religious
David Kennedy from the Scottish Police Federation says there is definitely "more to do" on face coverings although he cautions that localised enforcement might simply see youths moving elsewhere.
"If you are on an e-bike and you are wearing a face covering, the concern I have got is you are not wearing a helmet," he adds.
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he → say → helmet
"I don't see many people travelling about the city centre on e-bikes wearing helmets."
Target the parents or sellers
Many parents are unaware that knowingly allowing their child to use an illegal e-bike or an e-scooter in a public place could land them with a fine or points on their driving licence.
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child → see → licence
Under the current law, e-scooters can only be used legally on private land.
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scooters → use → land
The only exceptions are a number of rental trial zones,, external all of them located in England, yet some parents regard e-scooters as legitimate toys.
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parents → locate → toys
Riders of legal electrically assisted pedal bikes must be at least 14, and any illegal modification means the bikes qualify as a motor vehicle/moped, requiring registration, a driving licence, tax and insurance.
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bikes → assist → registration
…and 14 more, not listed.
The Aporia
