Reiterating calls for safer roads before bigger bikes, Commissioner of Police, Michael B. Matthews says robust requirements are needed with the introduction of bigger CC motorcycles in the territory. Photo: VINO/File

According to Commissioner Micheal B. Matthews, when it comes to bikers with existing licence for bigger bikes in other countries, those licences should be irrelevant when it comes to the Virgin Islands (VI). Photo: Facebook/File

Premier and Minister of Finance Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) announced on April 2, 2019 in the House of Assembly (HoA) that larger bikes will be legalised in the territory but under strict regulations.Photo: VINO/File

It is currently illegal to have a motorbike above 125 CC in the territory; however, there have been calls by bike owners and dealers for the ban on larger bikes to be lifted to which the government is making moves to implement. 

"When I talk about robust requirements, we can't just expect people to come along to say hey, I've imported this bike. I'll like to apply for a licence for it. There needs to be a separate test for a vehicle of that size," CoP Matthews said on the Tuesday, January 14, 2019, edition of the Honestly Speaking radio show on ZBVI 780am. 

Bikers will accede to new requirements - CoP Matthews 

He said when it comes to bikers with existing licence for bigger bikes in other countries, those licences should be irrelevant when it comes to the Virgin Islands (VI). 

"We need to be satisfied here, that if you are going to ride it in our Territory, you're going to be safe doing that," he said.

Calling for more education regarding road use and overall better road network to accommodate what he called 'powerful beats', CoP Matthews said the fear now is that the illegal use of existing scooters could eventually be transferred to a more powerful machine. 

"I can almost guarantee that the vast majority of people that would want to ride the big bikes would accede to any requirement the government would put down because of course, they would be law-abiding individuals," Mr Matthews told moderator Claude O. Skelton-Cline and the listening audience. 

Majority of riders are law-abiding - CoP Matthews 

He said the vast majority of individuals are law-abiding, however, authorities must now put the focus on smaller groups of reckless riders who are riding illegally.

"It's a noise nuisance, it's creating pollution, its creating disturbance, and its creating danger to other road users and we got to focus on them."

CoP Matthews continued, "because when the bigger bikes arrive in the territory, what stops those individuals thinking, I'm going to have more fun now and go even faster?" he questioned. 

According to Commissioner Matthews, the challenge for 2020 would be to stop already illegal riders from getting on the bigger bikes. He said the force has been consulted on a regular basis on what is needed for robust regulations to come with the implementation of bigger bikes. 

Premier and Minister of Finance Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) announced on April 2, 2019, in the House of Assembly (HoA) that larger bikes will be legalised in the territory but under strict regulations.