Above: Hills trail bike
By Tania Martin
A DANGEROUS stunt involving a trail bike rider and Puffing Billy has sparked renewed calls for something to be done about irresponsible riders.
The incident happened shortly after 1pm on Monday, 10 September, when a trail bike rider and the popular tourist train narrowly avoided a head-on collision.
Eyewitness and Puffing Billy volunteer Roger Willsher said this wasn’t the first time that a trail bike rider had been caught riding on the railway tracks.
Mr Willsher said the trail bike rider, a 15-year-old boy, had shown a total disregard for his own safety and the passengers riding on Puffing Billy.
He said the train was travelling to Belgrave while the boy was riding towards Emerald in the direct path of the train.
“He saw us coming but didn’t try to move until the last minute,” Mr Willsher said.
“He ended up just two feet from the train in a ditch – it was just lucky he got away with it but his luck will run out one day.”
Trail bike riding in the hills has been a problem for years with an increasing number of reports of young people riding around the hills illegally.
Residents from Cockatoo, Emerald and Monbulk have all called for police to stop the trail bike riders.
But Acting Senior Sergeant Andrew Herdman of Belgrave Police said catching trail bike riders in the act was a real problem.
He said the trail bike riders show a continual disregard for the law, riding around unlicensed, and unregistered.
Barry Horsbough of Emerald disputes the need to get trail bike riders off the road, but believes the problem stems from not having anywhere to ride.
He said that if young people had somewhere to ride they wouldn’t be risking their lives riding on the railway tracks.
Mr Horsbough has been campaigning for a motorcycle track to be built in the hills for the past 15 years.
He said if something isn’t done soon then someone would get killed.
Mr Horsbough believes that if a motorcycle track were built all the problems with trail bike riders would be resolved.
He said the track would be fully supervised and would be a safe place where up and coming motocross riders could train.
“We have parents willing to be rostered on to supervise the kids and all bikes would have to be safety checked before each ride,” he said.
But Sen Sgt Herdman doubts that building a motorcycle track will fix the problems with trail bike riders.
He said a motorcycle track might be the answer for some but believes the majority will continue to flout the law.
But Mr Horsbough said a motorcycle track was a great way to keep young people off the streets but says the need for the track is being ignored by both local and State Governments.
“Everyone puts the issue into the too hard basket and tries to run away from it,” he said.
But Gembrook MP Tammy Lobato said she shares the community concerns about trail bike riding in the hills.
However, Ms Lobato believes it’s not an activity suited to many of the sensitive parkland areas in the Dandenong Ranges.
“That is why I am working on an alternative – a dedicated motorised recreational facility in a location south of Pakenham and near the freeway,” she said.
“Such a facility would provide a safe, supervised area for motor sports enthusiasts to enjoy their chosen recreation while avoiding many of the problems of trail bike riding in areas where there are homes nearby and where riders are not properly supervised.”
The Mail tried to contact Monbulk MP James Merlino but was unable to get a response before going to print.
