A CAMPAIGN to deal with the problem of anti-social off-road motorcycling - such as mini-motos being rode on pavements - has been hailed a success and will be taken on by Crawley Borough Council’s safety team.
This Monday (November 28), a meeting of the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Commission will recommend that the Safer Crawley Partnership keep the issue under review to carry on the work that has been carried out over the past two years.
The campaign, launched by Bewbush Cllr Chris Cheshire and the Anti-Social Off-Road Motorcycling Scrutiny Panel, encouraged people to inform the police if they saw mini-motos, off-roaders, quad bikes and scramble bikes being driven on the pavements or roads.
Since May 2009, 279 incidents were reported, with a reduction in complaints between March and August 2010 of 43 per cent - down from 137 to 59 offences compared to same period in 2009.
It had been suggested that a site be created at Buchan Hill to allow riders to use their bikes legally. In his report, community safety officer Don Edwardson stated: “The future use of the Buchan Hill site has yet to be decided, but there are costs factors associated with access and egress to the site that would likely preclude its use by a social and voluntary enterprise.”
Cllr Chris Cheshire said she was pleased with the outcome of the campiagn and added: “From what people have been saying, they are very pleased with the results – but there is still a job to be done.
“I am very pleased with how it’s gone because I know a lot of the public were concerned.
“All this came about from discussions that were raised at the Talk Bewbush meetings which I took to the council.
“We created a scrutiny panel and out of the work of that panel came this campaign – so thanks to the Bewbush residents.”
Cllr Cheshire approved of the plan to turn the issue over to the Safer Crawley Partnership.
She added: “I like that there’s going to be an ongoing commitment to this and that it’s not just been a one-off.
“It’s the people who live near hot-spots that will be most aware of the campaign and the reduction in nuisance.
“You have to educate people that, even if there’s a legitimate place to use these mini motos, they can’t drive them on the pavements or the road to get there.”
