A new petrol-electric hybrid motor trike is being trialled by Greater Manchester Police.
The three-wheeled WMC300FR motor trike has been developed by Northamptonshire-based White Motorcycle Concepts (WMC) in collaboration with Northamptonshire Police and a number of British companies.
GMP will be trialling two of the trikes, which will be used in a variety of roads policing environments such as patrolling high-harm collision routes carrying out speed enforcement, attending road traffic incidents and traffic management for transfers to and from court and Manchester City’s and United’s home UEFA Champions League fixtures.
They will also be used in road safety campaigns as well as events such as the Conservative Party conference next month.
The trikes’ batteries are compact and easily removed, and spares can be carried on the bike or stored at the station – meaning the bikes do not need downtime for charging and can continue to be used for patrol.
The design also provides a three-pin plug and USB ports, creating a mobile workstation for a neighbourhood officer and allowing them to spend more time on their beat.
Its three-wheel design also means the trikes can be driven on a standard car licence, enabling more officers to use them following basic training.
Chief inspector Ronnie Neilson from GMP’s Specialist Operations said: “This is a really exciting step forward for the Roads Policing Unit at Greater Manchester Police and our commitment to reduce road danger through Vision Zero, which is an ambition to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all.
“These bikes will help us with our proactive policing throughout the whole of Greater Manchester, allowing us to have a more visible presence in neighbourhoods during our-day-to-day patrols as well as policing major events.
“We have six Traffic PSCOs who have been trained to ride these bikes, with a view to more officers being trained in the near future.
“My thanks also go to Safer Roads Greater Manchester who have part-funded this trial, and we are all looking forward to seeing what the next six months have in store.”
CEO of White Motorcycle Concepts Robert White added: “We are incredibly proud to see Greater Manchester Police adopt the WMC300FR into its fleet.
“They have had a great impact on Northamptonshire Police’s visibility and neighbourhood policing, however Greater Manchester Police has very different geography and challenges that these WMC300FRs will look to address, demonstrating their operational flexibility.
“We are an innovative organisation and are looking to work collaboratively with police forces, like GMP, to support their fleet transition away from fossil fuels, while maintaining/enhancing operational presence.”
