Manchester Green Party councillors have today urged Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to improve how it targets resources in tackling the scourge of anti-social off-road vehicles and illegal e-bikes.
At today’s Manchester City Council meeting, Greens backed a motion calling for more resources from GMP to investigate and enforce problems with off-road vehicles, including the creation of a specialist unit.
The Greens’ amendment, which was accepted by the council, also called on GMP to broaden its use of data when determining the areas worst affected by these vehicles, such as allowing police officer reporting as well as feedback from stakeholders.
Cllr Rob Nunney, Green councillor for Woodhouse Park in Wythenshawe, who proposed the amendment, said: “Anti-social off-road vehicles are indeed a scourge, and one that needs immediate and effective action to prevent the loss of even more lives.
“From my meetings with police, I know that their resources for the whole of Greater Manchester to tackle this issue are extremely limited. However, there is far too much onus on the public to report off-road bikes. The police should proactively gather intelligence and act on information from partners, such as what councillors are telling them.
“For years residents have been telling me that someone will get killed, and that they fear for the safety of their children. We want to redress this unfairness by calling on GMP to broaden their sources of data when choosing the areas most in need of action.”
There has been an increase in the use of electronic bikes in Manchester in recent years, which Greens welcome as part of a wider move towards active travel.
However, many bikes are not legally compliant or are used in a way that puts pedestrians in danger. GMP’s main initiative to tackle this issue, Operation Hurricane, is only being deployed in five of Greater Manchester’s boroughs, not including the city of Manchester itself.
While Greens believe that GMP can make better use of data to be more efficient in tackling off-road vehicles, we also recognise that police forces need more funding overall.
“For GMP to have the sufficient resources needed to tackle such a humungous issue, they need money,” Cllr Nunney added.
“Only the Labour government has the power to give GMP the funding that it needs by taxing the very rich so that public services are sufficiently funded by those with the broadest shoulders, instead of business as usual.”
At today’s meeting, Greens also supported motions seeking to close the viability loophole in affordable housing, and calling on the council to better understand and tackle anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism in Manchester.
Anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism has increased significantly in recent years, particularly as a result of the ongoing genocide in Palestine.
Cllr Astrid Johnson, deputy leader of the Greens on Manchester City Council, said: “Developers avoid building affordable housing not because they are bad actors by default, but because the system structurally rewards them for doing so. Profit motives, weak enforcement, and complex loopholes make it rational behaviour at the cost of all of us.”
Cllr Anastasia Wiest, leader of the Greens on Manchester City Council, added: “The censoring of pro-Palestinian demonstrations and political statements has been frankly shocking, and flies in the face of our most fundamental British values of democracy and freedom of expression.
“Adopting a definition of anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism would show our commitment to the 15,028 members of the Arab community in Manchester. It would provide a reference point for their experience, and show that we are serious about being a city of sanctuary where everyone is respected and valued.”
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Notes to editors:
The Green Party is an opposition party on Manchester City Council with three councillors. The leader of the Green group on the council is Cllr Anastasia Wiest. The deputy leader is Cllr Astrid Johnson.
The three Green councillors on the council are Cllr Anastasia Wiest, Cllr Astrid Johnson, and Cllr Rob Nunney. All three represent the ward of Woodhouse Park.
Manchester City Council is formed of 87 Labour members, three Greens, four Liberal Democrats, one Worker’s Party member, and one independent.
Cllrs Wiest and Johnson can be available for interview upon request.
For further information, please contact Chris Ogden at press@manchester.greenparty.org.uk.