Off-road bikers cause a racket
Residents of Wildenweide have called for Council to take action against bikers flouting the law and disturbing the peace.
WITH a twist of the wrist, off-road bikers derive intense pleasure from blasting around the countryside.
But for some Richards Bay residents, such activities are nothing but a nuisance, disturbing the peace and creating ‘an annoying racket’.
uMhlathuze residents have again called on the municipality to take action through implementation of its bylaws and to penalise those who ride on municipal land.
Wildenweide resident Marlini Roopan, who submitted a letter to the Zululand Observer last month, complained about the apparent lawless behaviour of the quad bike and two-wheeled enthusiasts.
The letter referred to ‘chronic noise pollution’ and called the activities an ‘abuse of my rights as a peaceful living member of the community’.
By the bylaw
According to the City’s bylaws under the ‘Nuisances’ section, no person may ‘operate a recreational vehicle on a piece of land designated by a local authority or move about on or in a recreational vehicle.’
The bylaw also prohibits recreational vehicles ‘if it may cause a ‘noise nuisance’.
A ‘noise nuisance’ is classified as any sounds which ‘impairs or may impair the convenience or disturb the peace of any person’.
According to Roopan, her family had confronted some of the bikers in question in the past, but to no avail.
Despite a written request for comment from the City of uMhlatuze on issues relating to off-road bikes and quads specifically, no response was forthcoming at the time of going to print.
