Devon TRF Group Forum

If you go trail riding in Italy then beware. 

The Italian "Antis" are getting into the act.

This message has recently appeared on the National TRF forum:-

"dear Sirs and Madams

I'm a young rider from Italy who has recently purchased a yamaha
ttr and is an offtrack enthusiast. I live in the northern Italy, near
Parma, inside the Emilia Romagna region right over Tuscany, a wonderful
place for bikers all over the world, and given its position, a necessary
step to reach any part of the Country.

This new year tough has brought us a law proposition to ban all
motorized vehicles on all off-road roads in my region...including cart
tracks. A ban that we fear may, if approved, be eventually applied to
the entire country. Even /downhill bikes/ will be banned, for they are
deemed dangerous.

The law is still under discussion between the regional counselors. I'm
not a law expert but in Italy dirt roads, mountain roads and country
roads are under state jurisdiction - so a regional law should be
unconstitutional, but they may take years to notice. The regions also
claim the "natural roads" are a tourism matter, making them/their
/matter. Permits will be issued from local authorities, those found
without will be fined up to 2000 Euro and, according to the law, /have
the bike confiscated in order to ensure the paying of the fee./ (art 12
comma 2 point f)

I'll attach a link with the law proposition articles. It's in Italian
but an online translation should be fine, mail me freely for any other
information you may require.


There's no national equivalent of your group sadly, so the
matter is in the hands of an handful of different groups. We hope to
have hunters on our side because the ban affects them as well. I'm not
part or affiliated to any group.

This mail of mine is first to inform any member of your association
who's or has been a regular traveler here of this disposition and then
to seek if you are willing to ask our counselors to reconsider their
positions, for we fear this resolution will backfire and be nothing but
a moneybringer fee - incidentally, highways fees has already been
raised, starting this year.
It's not a matter of not paying for a permit. We are aware that there's
a problem with people without a working brain on bikes. There's also a
problem with bad-mannered trash-throwing trekkers.
it's the fee's monstrosity that gives it away.

The mails of all the involved Counselors are common knowledge and all
published on the Region (Emilia/Romagna) site, we have collected them
and I would be happy to give these to your if you choose to intervene in
the matter/./

this is the site containing the resolution (italian)
http://demetra.regione.emilia-romagna.it/al/monitor.php?vi=att&urn=er:assemblealegislativa:progettodilegge:2012;3351

I thank you in advance for your attention and for what your work has
brought you, a national association of enthusiasts."

Interesting reading, but worrying.

Martyn