Town halls perceive a mini-motorbike menace sweeping Britain and Swansea, in South Wales, is trying to tackle the problem with positive measures. Swansea Council is proposing the first off-road motorbike track in Wales to combat the problem of scrambling. A hotline is also being organised for people to specifically report illegal scrambling, while expert training and advice workshops are being arranged for children in the area owning mini-motorbikes. The Auto Cycling Union (ACU) has been involved in the proposals from the onset.
New figures show that there has been a twenty-fold increase in the number of mini-motorbikes in less than five years, with 144,000 now in circulation, that's up from just 7,000 in 2001 the majority of them sourced from China.
Although it is illegal to ride these bikes on public land, the law is frequently flouted. There have already been four deaths attributed to the use of mini-bikes, which can reach speeds of nearly 40 mph. The bikes are often noisy, usually because kids mess with the silencers or the machines already flout noise laws.
A new 'three point plan' to tackle the problem has been issued today by the Local Government Association (LGA). The plan calls for councils to:
- Work with the police to seize and crush bikes driven illegally and serve ASBOs and noise notices on persistent offenders.
- Look to set up managed sites where bikes can be driven legally and safely
- Ensure that bikes are advertised appropriately
Cllr Alison King, Chair of the LGA's Children & Young People board, says: "Town halls are getting tough on mini-motorbikes. These bikes are blighting peoples' lives, tearing up public parks and even causing deaths on our roads. Councils and the police will seize and crush bikes that are driven on public land. People who continually flout the law can also expect to be served with ASBOs or prosecuted.
"However, along with the stick comes the carrot, and local authorities should look into providing safely monitored race tracks, similar to BMX parks. Young people would be allowed to ride mini-bikes safely and without causing a nuisance to local people."
Related Linkswww.acu.org.uk
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