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Officer calls for discussion on ban on motorcyclists in some areas
A senior North Wales Police officer last night called for a debate into the banning of motorbikes from National Parks.
The personal comments from Chief Supt Geraint Anwyl, who is also head of the National Roads Policing Intelligence Form, came as an investigation continued into a crash which killed two motorcyclists on a Snowdonia road. It brought to 12 the number of bikers killed in North Wales this year.
The latest deaths were on the A4212 at Cwm Prysor, between Bala and Trawsfynydd, when a lone biker collided on a bend with a rider in a group coming the other way.
Another motorcyclist was injured in a separate accident on the same road and was flown to hospital by helicopter.
One of the dead motorcyclists was Stephen Rowley, 52, of Stoke on Trent. The other was Joroslow Owczarek, 35, a Polish national living at Maidenhead, Berkshire. Inquests were opened and adjourned at Caernarfon.
Chief Superintendent Anwyl said “Twelve motorcyclists have lost their lives since the start of the year and what is clear is that there seems to be an emerging trend.”
“Some parts of Europe prohibit motorcycles being ridden in some areas. My personal view is that we have reached a stage now where we need to have a debate over ‘should we be looking at prohibiting motorcycles from our National Parks?’ or ‘should we consider introducing by-laws, legislation which bans motorcycles from the National Park at certain times of the year’?”
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