NOISY MOTOR CYCLES

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16943, 18 January 1923, Page 7

NOISY MOTOR CYCLES

“AN INTOLERABLE NUISANCE.” INTERVIEW WITH MOTOR INSPECTOR. Quite right,” was the comment of Mr H. Macintosh. City Motor Inspector, when interviewed this morning with reference to the editorial note in last night's “ Star” drawing attention to the very grave nuisance caused by motor-cyclists who rido late at night with noisy exhausts. *• W© catch them occasionally after considerable trouble and time,’ - Mr Macintosh continued, “ and finally they are brought before the Magistrate, but the result is that they are fined a I'eAv shillings only. So they go away smiling and commit the offence again.” One thing that added considerably to the difficulty of bringing offenders to book, Mr Macintosh said, was that in the case of about 50 per cent" of the numl>ers taken it was found that the machine had changed hands and that the change of ownership had not been notified.. In some cases it was found that machines had changed hands ns many as six times since they were first jegistered. Such machine* were to nil intents and purposes not registered. With regard to the question of catching noisy motor-cyclists at night time, Mr Macintosh said that he and his present staff had quite enough to do in the day time without going out at night as well. Tf they had to work at night, the work during the day. which, with the increase of motor traffic, was becoming more and more important, would suffer. Offenders were harder to catch at night time because\t wps more difficult to read numbers, said Mr Macintosh. A few years ago they made a successful night raid in a motor-car equipped with a. powerful searchlight, which showed up the numbers of offending motorists. However, at the present time the City Motor Department was not provided with a motor-car, but only with a motor-cycle. Tf the department were equipped with a motor-car with the necessarv fittings much more could be accomplished. Another point was that during the past, year or two the inclusion of Spreydon. Wool on and Papanui in the city had increased the area to be cowered considerably. A motor-car would be of great assistance in getting over the present large district. Tn other big oities traffic officers were provided witb motor-cars and they always worked in pairs. This was done because Magistrates generally tiked corroborative evidence. A motor car was tbe ideal vehicle for officers working in pair*. “ T quite agree that noisy motorare an intolerable nuisance.” Mr Macintosh concluded, “and there is absolutely no necessity for them An efficient silencer can easilv be fitted to a machine without impairing its efficiency.”’