Zaynub Akbar MS, Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd for Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf, is calling on South Wales Police to trial drone technology to help identify riders of illegal e-bikes and off-road vehicles causing anti-social behaviour along the Taff Trail and in Llandaff North, Gabalfa and Whitchurch, so people can feel safe walking, cycling and playing in their own neighbourhoods.
The call follows a joint operation by South Wales Police, Cardiff Council and the National Police Air Service (NPAS) on Friday 3 July, which saw 68 illegal mechanically propelled vehicles seized and destroyed across the city, including 17 e-bikes taken from the Taff Trail and other green spaces.
One illegally modified e-bike stopped on Castle Street was found capable of reaching 86km/h (53mph). The operation, part of the ongoing Operation Livewire, brings the total number of illegal vehicles seized since August 2025 to 800.
However, incidents have continued to be reported since. BBC Wales reported at the end of July that youths in balaclavas had targeted pedestrians and cyclists on the trail, including an assault on a 12-year-old boy and an attempted assault on plain-clothed officers. Residents contacting Ms Akbar’s office say the situation is getting worse, not better.
A dispersal order remains in place covering the Gabalfa area, including Lydstep Park, following repeated reports of anti-social riding. Residents living nearby have described riders openly taunting officers, confident that they can outrun patrols on foot or in vehicles before being stopped.
Zaynub Akbar believes drones offer a cheaper and more flexible way of identifying riders and gathering evidence than relying on NPAS aircraft alone, particularly along a route like the Taff Trail where officers on foot cannot easily follow a rider who speeds off. She points to two examples of forces already using the technology for exactly this purpose:
- Gloucestershire Constabulary has been using drones[1] as part of its Safer Streets Summer Initiative, helping officers locate and follow illegal e-bikes and e-scooters that would otherwise be difficult to track on the ground. A recent operation saw 15 illegal vehicles seized in Cheltenham and 33 in Gloucester.
- Victoria Police in Australia launched Operation Track [2] in Mornington Peninsula this year, using drones to identify riders of illegal e-bikes and trail bikes. In its first two months, the operation led to nine arrests and the recovery of a stolen car and a stolen motorbike.
Zaynub Akbar MS has written to the Chief Constable of South Wales Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner to formally request that a drone trial be considered for known hotspots including the Taff Trail, Llandaff North, Gabalfa and Whitchurch.
Zaynub Akbar MS, Member of the Senedd for Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf, said:
“People living near the Taff Trail, in Llandaff North, Gabalfa and Whitchurch have told me they’re scared to walk or cycle on the trail, and some don’t feel comfortable bringing their children to the park or walking their dog. That’s not right. South Wales Police and Cardiff Council are already doing serious work on this through Operation Livewire, but the latest reports and what residents are telling me make clear this problem is getting worse, not better. I want to see officers given every tool available to identify riders safely and build the evidence needed to take vehicles off our streets for good.
“Forces elsewhere, including Gloucestershire, are already using drones for exactly this kind of work, and they’re a fraction of the cost of a fixed-wing aircraft. I’d like South Wales Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner to look seriously at a trial here.”