Ban on nuisance driving likely to continue after consultation reveals huge support

However, a report has revealed that since the public space protection order was introduced in 2019, just 70 motorists have been handed fines for their nuisance behaviour.

The order, which can legally only last for three years, was an attempt to clamp down on drivers who created a nuisance, but did not necessarily break the law, with their driving.

It aimed to clamp down on those who rev their engines loudly, shout abuse or suggestive comments from their cars, drive in a dangerous or threatening manner or use their car in a "nuisance" manner.

People would also be banned from playing music too loudly in their cars and "loitering" as part of a group of parked vehicles - a section of the PSPO designed to stop unauthorised car meets.

It will expire this Summer, and at a meeting of Bradford Council's Regulatory and Appeals Committee later this month, members will be asked to extend the order by another three years.

A public consultation on the proposals was held earlier this year, and found that 70 per cent of people who responded felt unsafe in Bradford due to vehicle nuisance, with Leeds Road, Buttershaw and Manningham proving to be hot spots for anti social driving.

Drivers to be fined for anti-social driving as new Bradford wide order goes live

When introduced with much fanfare in July 2019, motorists were told that anti-social driving could now land them with a fixed penalty notice of £100, and a fine of up to £1,000 if this is not paid.

However, a report to the Committee detailing the success of the order so far says just 70 fixed penalty notices were handed out.

Of these 70, just 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 low number of noticed handed out.

The public consultation into extending the order saw 1,471 people have their say, and of those 95 per cent supported the three year extension.

70 per cent of respondents said they feel ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ unsafe in Bradford in connection with vehicular nuisance. Respondents said between 9pm and midnight was the time they felt most unsafe due to nuisance driving.

Police carry out much of the enforcement

The report says: "The six most common areas where people feel less safe are the City Centre (Leeds Road in particular), Manningham, Great Horton Road, BD3 (covering the neighbourhoods of Barkerend, Bradford Moor and Thornbury), Girlington and Buttershaw.

People were asked what particular problems they had encountered, with answers including "people park up side-by-side in the road without care for other drivers," driving on the wrong side of the road, blocking street entrances, double parking, parking near school entrances/on yellow zigzags and cars being used for selling drugs.

When asked which roads or areas are a particular issue for anti-social driving, respondents said 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 rural roads around its neighbouring villages, Marsh Lane, Oxenhope, Buttershaw and Wibsey Park.

The report says: "Dangerous, inconsiderate and anti-social driving can have a significant effect on how safe people feel in the District and is regularly flagged as the key anti-social behaviour concern by our residents.

"The majority of ‘Notices of Offence’ have been issued by Police partners and particularly the ‘Steerside’ Enforcement Team. A number of Fixed Penalty Notices have been issued retrospectively by the Council based on dash-cam evidence. Since the PSPO going live we have issued over 70 Fixed Penalty Notices.

"During the peak periods of the Pandemic the number of fines were low. However, over the course of 2021 and into 2022 the rate has accelerated and we expect this to continue."

In 2019 the PSPO was nominated for a ‘John Connell Local Authority Award’ from the Noise Abatement Society.

The scheme won "highly commended," with the society saying: "While many councils fear legal challenges when using such powers this council said ’not on our watch’."