[visordown.com] - BMF considering legal challenge to council’s motorcycle ban

[Ninjette Newsbot]

THE British Motorcyclists Federation says it will launch a legal bid to overturn a ban of motorcycles from a public road if negotiations fail.

The BMF’s Government Relations Executive, Chris Hodder, said he was seeking a “practical solution” with Brent Council.

“If that doesn’t work, we’ll have to think about the legal option,” he said. “We could take them to court for a judicial review. If a judge says the ban is illegal then that’s the end of it.”

Brent Council introduced an experimental traffic order banning motorcycles from Rainsford Road, near the Ace Café in StoneBridge, North London.

The council says there has been dangerous riding on the on the road, a stretch of smooth tarmac following a sweeping curve between two roundabouts.

A sign at the site directs riders to take an alternative route.

Hodder said: “A line has been crossed. We can’t allow local authorities to close roads to motorcycles just because they’re inconvenient.”

He said legal action would be “expensive”.

“Because it’s an experimental traffic order, members of the public can write to the council and formally object to it being made permanent,” he added.

A spokeswoman for the Motorcycle Industry Association said: “We strongly condemn the loutish behaviour that led to the ban, and can sympathise with residents, but to discriminate against all motorcyclists is clearly unfair. It’s hard to find a parallel or example where an entire group is so heavily penalised as a punishment for the actions of a tiny minority.”

Brent Council said: ‘There are on-going and often daily problems with motorcyclists using this road as a race track and for stunt riding, particularly when there are events at the nearby Ace Cafe. Numerous incidents and accidents have been reported by the Metropolitan Police and the local community.

‘It is only be a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed.’





Click here for full story...