The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) is concerned about the decision to close a public access road to motorcyclists specifically because of the behaviour of a small group of people. Brent Council has employed an experimental traffic management order to prohibit motorcycles from Rainsford Road in North London.
Dangerous riding and abusive behaviour that has provoked complaints from
residents has been given as the reason for the order.
MAG recognises the need to deal with unacceptable behaviour but challenges the ‘sledgehammer’ approach that treats an entire genre of vehicle users as if they share a collective blame.
MAG President Ian Mutch said; “We sympathise with local residents but have to question the precedent-setting nature of an order that generalises about a group of people and penalises them in pursuit of a small minority. This is a geographically very confined illustration of a principle but we must look at the precedent it sets and consider the long-term implications if such tactics are recognised as legitimate.
In France many miles of beautiful mountain roads in the Vosges region have
been barred to motorcyclists because of the conduct of a minority or reckless riders. This is not the kind of thing we would want to see happening in this country.”
MAG feels that the problems at Rainsford Road should be dealt with in a manner that does not impact riders per se.
MAG Chairman John Mitchell added; “This traffic order is a blunt instrument that flies in the face of natural justice and represents the kind of social profiling that would not be tolerated in other contexts.”
Further information:
Ian Mutch 07799 764 161
theroad@mag-uk.org