Current status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 August 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what resources it is providing to Police Scotland to tackle any anti-social behaviour issues caused by (a) off-road bikes, (b) e-bikes and (c) e-scooters in communities across Scotland, and whether it has had any recent discussions with (i) Police Scotland and (ii) local authorities regarding how best to tackle this issue.
Despite deeply challenging financial circumstances, we are investing record funding of £1.55 billion in policing in the current financial year, which is an increase of £92.7 million. It is for the Scottish Police Authority, working with the Chief Constable, to determine how to allocate its budget to meet policing priorities.
Enforcement of all traffic offences is a matter for Police Scotland, which operates independently of Scottish Ministers. However, the Scottish Government fully supports Police Scotland and its partners in dealing with the misuse of such vehicles. Local policing teams are ideally placed to identify where the misuse of such vehicles is causing distress to the public and ensure that those areas can be prioritised to prevent future incidents.
The Scottish Government was previously in contact with Police Scotland in June 2022 about the issue of quad bikes and other off-road vehicles. Police Scotland then outlined work ongoing within local policing divisions in raising awareness of the dangers of misusing such vehicles. The Scottish Government has encouraged local authority partners to continue to work closely with Police Scotland on these issues.