The Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCI) has spoken out against
proposals to introduce compulsory registration for all off-road
motorcycles.
The proposal is for Universal, Retrospective, Compulsory registration,
so that all motorcycles would carry a number plate whether used on road
or not. The proposal, which has been made in a 'Ten Minute Rule Bill' in
Parliament, has been inspired by current public concerns surrounding the
already illegal and anti social use of mini and toy bikes on public
roads.
The MCIA has identified a number of problems with this proposal, which
it believes would not realistically solve the problem of mini- bikes,
and could create a whole range of administrative difficulties as well as
be costly to law-abiding citizens. The proposal could also impact
negatively on off road motorcycle sport.
Presently, vehicles intended for use off road on private property or
for motorcycle sport are not required to be registered. Vehicles that
aren't already on a database would have to be identified and their
details gathered which could amount to perhaps more than 250,000 off
road motorcycles of all types.
Mini motorcycle nuisance is largely associated with illegal riding and
anti-social behaviour as well as a number of motoring offences, that the
police have more than enough powers to deal with. MCI argues the illegal
riding of off road motorcycles is not a new issue and in the past was
generally associated with stolen machines. Riders who already flout the
law would be likely to simply remove the number plates, and eliminate
the engine and frame numbers just as they did with stolen bikes. The
proposed registration scheme is therefore likely to be an expensive
exercise in futility. Far better will be to find ways of providing for
the activity legally, just as was achieved when skate boarders and
BMXers proved a social issue Unfortunately NIMBYs on local councils are
all too busy frustrating their officers good efforts to achieve this.
Craig Carey-Clinch MCI's Director of Public Affairs said, " The
proposal is well meaning, but will singularly fail to achieve its
purpose, while at the same time creating a huge burden of regulation and
bureaucracy on legitimate and legal off road motorcycle sport. We can
only imagine what our British Superbike champions would have to say
about the prospect of having to fit road-style number plates to their
race bikes.
"The proposed scheme would be expensive, legally complex and largely
ineffective. Implementation would cost money, which would be recouped
largely from people who are not part of the problem, rather than those
that are already committing multiple offences.
"Successful action against mini-bike problems has mostly been through
local intelligence and focussed police operations to identify, seize and
crush vehicles being abused. Also, by providing diversionary activities
and legitimate venues to prevent young people becoming involved in
auto-crime.
Surely the huge costs implied by the implementation of such a scheme
would be better spent on providing police and local authorities the
resources they need to tackle the mini bike problem in a constructive
and sustainable way, rather than thrown away on what will be little more
than on an ineffective gimmick."
