David Delaney of Byton, Near Presteigne says farms face EU ruling on quad bike use (From Hereford Times)

David Delaney of Byton, Near Presteigne says farms face EU ruling on quad bike use

8:00am Thursday 24th May 2012 in Letters

JOHN Bufton MEP demanded (Readers’ Times, May 5) that the EU should cut down on the prolific regulations such as the ridiculous new rules for hairdressers.

He only touched on the blizzard of Brussels’ regulations strangling businesses and community groups which is costing the UK billions of pounds to comply with.

One particularly vexations and provocative set is the draft European community Whole Vehicle Type Approval – a 200- page compendium of rules that are especially damaging for cyclists, motorcyclists, quad and trike owners.

For example the speed of electrically assisted bicycles is to be limited to well below that attained by normal pedal cycles.

Quads will have to have expensive crash protection and ABS brakes – of little use for rounding up sheep and cattle – motorcyclists will be forbidden to modify their bikes with special warning signals. If they do, they will not be allowed to service their machines.

And it is highly likely that all riders will have to wear yellow jackets in law.

None of these rules are justified by research as adding to safety.

Industry and motorcycling groups are fighting as hard as possible to put a stop to this unwanted interference.

DAVID DELANEY, Byton, near Presteigne.