PLANS to make noisy vehicle exhausts illegal have outraged motorcyclists. A majority of States members have signed a requete, submitted by Deputies Chris Brock and Dave Jones, to control car and motorcycle noise levels.

If passed, it will be an offence to use a vehicle not fitted with an exhaust with the same standards as in the UK and Jersey.

It will also be illegal to sell or supply such a vehicle, alter an exhaust system to increase noise or fail to maintain one properly.

Trevor Hockey, owner of Trev’s Motorcycles, said there were far more important issues that needed dealing with.

‘I find it regrettable that with the delays in passing laws about mental health and animal welfare, a group of deputies can heap more weight onto the shoulders of the Law Officers,’ he said.

‘Guernsey is an overpopulated place and people complain about everything. I get annoyed by noise from my neighbour mowing his lawn but I don’t go and play Mr Angry about it.

‘I have had a lot of feedback from my customers and the general feeling is, ﾓHaven’t they got something better to do?ﾔ.

‘Apparently it’s OK to kick people out of their States houses but it’s not OK to have a motorbike that makes a bit of noise occasionally.’

Under the current 1986 legislation it is an offence for drivers to cause excessive noise only by the manner in which they drive, or if circumstances trigger it.

At the time the Island Police Committee concluded, following enquiries with UK forces, that it was too expensive and impractical to prescribe decibel limits for Guernsey drivers.

Deputy Jones said the excessive noise from exhausts had been the bane of many people’s lives for too long.

‘I have received more complaints about this issue from people than probably any other subject,’ he said.

‘Let’s get this piece of legislation in place. We hope once that happens the police will enforce it stringently.’

Deputy Jones added that it should not be forgotten that excessively loud exhausts were contributing to noise pollution.

‘People don’t tend to think of it in the same way as other kinds of pollution because the effects are not visible, but they should do so,’ he said.

‘We want to make the island a quieter and more peaceful place for people to live.’

Deputy Brock said this was an important issue and denied he was anti-motorcycles.

‘I have friends who ride them responsibly and it’s not a problem,’ he said.

‘The other day two motorcyclists passed by with very well maintained bikes and you could barely hear them. Then two others came past who were deliberately driving in a way as to make excess noise.

‘This is an issue for thousands of islanders. If the law is passed, it will give police the power to tackle the problem properly.’

Deputy Brock said the current law was not strong enough to deal with the new exhausts on the market which were not intended for road use. ‘Very quickly we got 24 States members to sign the requete so that shows the kind of support it has,’ he said.

‘As this is a majority, we believe it doesn’t require a debate and I would be delighted if the Home Department adopted it without one.’