New Year Start for Street Racer Bylaw

A new bylaw will come into force in early January to manage illegal driving activity in a favourite boy racer hang-out.

Tonight (Tuesday) New Plymouth District Council approved an amendment to the district’s bylaws to prohibit light vehicles from 7pm to 7am every day in Bell Block’s De Havilland Drive/Connett Road area.

The bylaw will come into force on 6 January 2010.

“This is a practical approach to a problem that is making it difficult for businesses to operate properly in this area, and that endangers public safety,” says Mayor Peter Tennent.

“I’d particularly like to thank the Taranaki Recreational Motorsport Incorporated Society and car clubs, as well as the police, business owners and nearby residents, who helped us draft a workable bylaw to address this problem.”

The bylaw applies to vehicles that weigh under 3,500kg on De Havilland Drive, Dakota Place, Auster Place, Corbett Road, Mustang Drive, Connett Road Central, Hudson Road and Connett Road East.

The restriction does not apply to light vehicles driven by owner-occupiers of the land, emergency vehicles, Council vehicles, trade services or business owners and staff.

No public submissions were received on the draft bylaw, which included the option for other areas in the district to be included in the restriction.

Manager Strategy and Policy Kate Macnaught says the illegal driving activities had got to the point where business owners in the De Havilland Drive area could not secure safe passage for their staff during the evening.

“Nearby residents have also complained about glass being left on the road verges, excessive noise, large crowds of intoxicated spectators, and dangerous driving to and from the area when there is street-racing taking place,” she says.

“By banning light vehicles from this area from 7pm to 7am we expect this industrial area will become safe again.”

In the last year the Council assisted with the formation of the Taranaki Recreational Motorsport Incorporated Society. The society organises car events at the Ferndene Race Track, which have attracted up to 600 people each
time.

“Encouraging legal driving behaviour such as at private events at Ferndene Race Track, and discouraging illegal driving behaviour such as through this bylaw, go hand in hand in improving driver and public safety,” says Mrs Macnaught.

Manukau, Tauranga and Christchurch already have similar bylaws in place.



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