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AWARD-WINNING VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY – NZCNA Wednesday, January 18, 2023

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NEW YEAR’S HONOURS P5

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Vol 52, No 2

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WARNING OVER BIKE RIDERS JH16684-V82

Turn up the volume

By CHRIS HARROWELL

While the storms were less severe in east Auckland than in some other parts of the country, very heavy rainfall still lashed the area with surface flooding a significant problem. Times photographer Wayne Martin captured this shot at Hunua Falls showing much greater volumes cascading over the top. Times photo Wayne Martin

large pack of dirt bike riders disrupted trafﬁc and drew attention from the public and police when they recently travelled through east Auckland. The incident on New Year’s Eve drew numerous posts on local community social media pages with people saying they saw the riders in the area of Botany Road as well as in Highland Park and Pakuranga. People said they saw riders not wearing helmets, driving recklessly, surrounding vehicles, riding on the wrong side of the road, pulling wheelies, disrupting trafﬁc and travelling with several cars as part of the group. One person estimated there were about 50 people in the pack of dirt bike riders while another said there was closer to 200. A large group of dirt bike riders was also seen in the central Auckland suburb of Kohimarama on December 31. A police spokesperson told the Times they were aware of the large group who travelled

around Auckland that day. “It is possible the riders in Kohimarama were from the same group in Pakuranga however enquiries to identify those involved remain ongoing. “This is a challenging type of behaviour for police to deal with at the time due to safety for other road users and the riders themselves. “It is incredibly frustrating for police and the public as these riders have absolutely no regard for the safety of others and their behaviour puts lives at risk. “It is completely unacceptable.” The spokesperson says police regularly follow up after such incidents to hold those involved to account. Police either issue infringement notices or charge the offenders with driving offences, “but the message does not seem to be getting through”. “It is illegal to ride a dirt bike on the road unless it is roadworthy with a current warrant and registration. “Anyone riding a bike with an engine capacity above

50cc needs to have a motorbike licence. “Police also want to see parents and caregivers take responsibility for the actions of these riders, some of whom are youths. “The last thing we want is to have one of these riders cause a crash and injure or kill a member of the public.” People who encounter dirt bike riders on the road should focus on keeping themselves safe and phoning police when it’s safe to do so, the spokesperson says. Counties Manukau Police charged more than 130 people and impounded almost 100 dirt bikes and vehicles following a 2022 operation targeting illegal street racing activity in areas including east Auckland. The year-long Operation Whakatika was launched to investigate reported offending in the Counties Manukau Police district by dirt bike riders and illegal street racers. As a result, 59 dirt bikes and 39 vehicles were impounded with 88 people arrested and charged over illegal related activity.

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