Aberdeen city wardens to patrol on bicycles

Aberdeen city wardens will patrol the city on bicycles. Picture: Getty

A ten-strong team of wardens will be patrolling the city’s streets on hybrid pedal bicycles equipped with electric motors.

A city council spokeswoman said: “During the patrols, the wardens will carry out their normal community, safety and environmental duties, but the bikes will allow the wardens to cover larger areas, provide a more frequent service and be more accessible to the public.”

Councillor Neil Cooney, the convener of the authority’s Housing and Environment Committee, said: “This is a hugely positive step forward for the City Warden service which already provides a high-profile, reassuring presence across Aberdeen.

“Cycle patrols will mean the wardens can cover more ground and respond to the needs of communities more efficiently. The bikes are also a cleaner, greener alternative to other modes of transport and will be of great benefit to the wardens.”

Cllr Cooney added: “The role of the City Wardens is a great example of community working. They provide a vital link between the public, the council and emergency services so that residents feel safe in their homes and in public, while ensuring the city’s transport network runs smoothly. These bicycle patrols will only improve that and I look forward to hearing about the benefits this will bring.”

Aberdeen City Council City Warden officer Robin Donald added: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the City Wardens as not only do the bikes offer environmental and health benefits, they also have the advantage of allowing wardens to quickly get to areas that are not immediately accessible by cars.

“The wardens aim to provide a flexible service and the introduction of bicycle patrols will only increase that flexibility. Often the wardens work long shifts and cover a lot of ground so this will greatly improve the efficiency of the service they provide.”

The city wardens service was launched in January 2009 by redesigning the roles and responsibilities previously undertaken by parking enforcement officers, environmental wardens and community wardens. The city wardens deal with antisocial behaviour, littering and illegal parking in the city.