Delivery riders fined £100 for cycling through pedestrianised areas have apologised for flouting council rules.

Residents and tourists have long complained of having to dodge couriers on bikes and mopeds weaving through Canterbury city centre as they transport takeaways for the likes of Deliveroo and Just Eat.

In January, Canterbury City Council launched a crackdown and so far this year almost 40 riders have been fined.

Among those having to fork out £100 was Tariqul Islam, who had been working for Deliveroo for barely a week at the time.

He had broken a long-standing rule by riding through pedestrian areas outside permitted hours.

The 36-year-old told KentOnline: “One day I was on the high street at the wrong time and a city council officer called me over and talked to me about the rules.

“I told them it was unknown to me but they said it’s my responsibility to know and gave me a fine.

“I respect the rules and I agree it was my fault. So after four days, I earned the money to pay the fine and since then I have been following all the rules.

“It's a good job delivering food, but when it puts other people at risk of harm it's not good, so I call on all delivery persons to follow the law and be respectful.”

Another Deliveroo worker, Shagor Shafi, found himself in a similar situation.

“I was new - I didn’t know the rules. The council guy stopped me and said you can’t ride on a bike here,” the 29-year-old said.

“I’m very careful now and just walk my bike through the high street.”

Just Eat worker Zia Zia, who has not faced any fines, urged other delivery workers to follow the rules.

“People riding dangerously shouldn’t do this because people are walking by and there are so many tourists,” the 26-year-old said.

For several years, riders have been banned from pedestrianised areas such as St Peter’s Street, High Street and St George’s Street between 10.30am and 4pm daily.

In January, the city council’s new public space protection order (PSPO) came into force to crack down on aggressive driving/riding, dangerous manoeuvres, excessive noise, posing a danger to other road users (including pedestrians), damage or risk of damage to private property, and harassment of an individual from vehicles.

A total of 37 fixed penalty notices have been issued so far this year by the authority’s enforcement officers, who have mounted a number of targeted joint operations with Kent Police.

Shoppers have this week praised the council’s strategy.

Sarah Lockyer, 63, said: “I think the important thing is that pedestrians are protected, and given the rights that they should have - to walk in what is mainly a pedestrianised area and to feel safe doing so.

“We get a lot of visitors to the city and they assume that they're not going to bump into traffic, or traffic's not going to bump into them.”

Gabriel Varley, 17, says at times he has had to dodge delivery riders in the high street.

“On the odd occasion I’ve seen one be a bit reckless, so I’ve had to move out of the way,” he said.

“There are quite a lot of delivery drivers riding down.”

The PSPO will be in effect until at least January 7, 2027.

City councillor Connie Nolan (Lab) says the effect of the policy will only increase over time as word of the new rules, and the fines for breaking them, spreads.

“People living and working in the city have been calling on the council to take action against delivery riders who do not respect those around them and cause, at the very least, a real nuisance, and at worst act dangerously,” said the cabinet member for community engagement, safety and enforcement.

“Putting the PSPO in place was the first step in tackling this issue but enforcing it is the most important one.

“Anecdotally, this action is starting to have a real effect and the momentum will inevitably increase as word spreads among the delivery riders that we won’t stand for any nonsense.

“And the delivery riders cannot say they were not warned. In the two-week lead-up to issuing fines, we worked with the Canterbury BID and the team at Whitefriars to talk riders through the rules and supplied them with a handy flier explaining them too.”

Earlier this year, a mum told KentOnline how a takeaway delivery rider in Canterbury almost knocked down her son on the pavement – then gave her a ‘V’ sign when she complained.

Couriers have previously admitted some workers “drive like lunatics” through the city.

But other delivery riders have spoken of the abuse they face on a daily basis.

One claimed he had been hit by cars four times while on his rounds.

Just Eat previously told KentOnline it expects couriers delivering on its behalf to act respectfully and responsibly at all times.

The company said it provides guidance to its independent restaurant partners and self-employed contractors to ensure they follow the rules of the road.

A spokesperson added: “If we are ever made aware that a courier delivering on our behalf has acted in a way that does not uphold the standards we hope to deliver, we will of course take action as appropriate."

A Deliveroo spokesperson previously said the firm regularly engages with couriers and local authorities to help keep riders and other road users safe, including working closely with the city council.