The Gedling Central Beat Team have conducted an Off-Road Motorbike Operation following concerns from local residents about off-road bikes being ridden in a dangerous manner.
Nottinghamshire Police said:
‘As a result of this, we have managed to disrupt 8 riders who were riding on Calverton Colliery in an anti-social manner and were issued with Section 59 Notices.
‘We will be conducting more operations of this nature in the future.
‘The legislation surrounding off-road bikes is that off-road bikes can be used on private land, with the landowner’s permission. The Road Traffic Act 1988 includes provisions that make it illegal to drive a mechanically propelled vehicle on land where permission has not been given. The Road Traffic Act 1988 (Section 34) states that:
‘It is illegal to drive or ride a mechanically propelled vehicle without lawful authority on common land, moorland, or land not forming part of a road, or on any road which is a footpath, bridleway, or restricted byway.
‘It should be noted that unsurfaced unclassified roads (often known as green roads or green lanes) and byways open to all traffic (BOATs) are roads, so riders would need to have a driving licence and insurance, and the quad bike must be taxed and registered (as per the Road Traffic Act). To ride on public land (e.g., parks), riders would need the local authority’s permission.
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