Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > Iti' bike confiscation ~ Oops maybe not then

[Ains.]

Article in the Torygragh. They can try it here but I'd probably end up inside for assault!

Ains.

Italy has been forced into sharp U-turn over tough traffic laws that provoked a public outcry and fights between motorcyclists and police.
Rules introduced last month had given the country's traffic police powers to confiscate motorcycles for later sale at auction if their drivers broke the law.
Designed to crack down on serious street crimes such as muggings, the new regulations also penalised offences as classically Italian as squeezing a friend on the back of a 50cc moped or smoking while darting in and out of traffic.
Motorcyclists were also punished for riding without a helmet or with the strap unfastened, only one hand on the handlebars or one wheel on the ground or being towed by a car.
Thousands of machines have been confiscated in the four weeks since the regulations came into force, from clapped-out Vespas to state-of-the-art Ducatis, provoking a chorus of protests.
Now Mario Tassone, the deputy transport and infrastructure minister, is expected to announce that motorcycles will be confiscated only for the "most serious" of cases, such as using the vehicle to snatch a handbag.
Those motorcylists who have already had their machines confiscated will be able to retrieve them, as long as the vehicles have not already auctioned.
"The laws are absurd" said Emanuele Piccari of the Italian consumers' union, as he welcomed the change of heart. "Mopeds have been confiscated for the silliest of reasons while motorists driving while drunk or on drugs don't get their cars taken away even though what they did was far more dangerous."
The worst-hit city has been Naples, where rules introduced several years ago obliging motorcyclists to wear helmets had hitherto been largely ignored.
According to La Repubblica, 1,200 machines in the city have already been confiscated in the month since the new laws came into effect.
Even in the more law-abiding city of Trieste more than 50 motorcycles have been seized in a month, prompting a city-wide demonstration scheduled for tomorrow.

[Dave G]

Some of them have to be seen to be believed,-scooter with man,wife and three kids(wife was side saddle too)-scooter carrying two dogs-one on pillion one in the footwell,scooter with 10ft skirting boards lashed to it,man on scooter carrying a surfboard!,-all of these I've seen with my own eyes.
Takes some beating really,there must be even better ones that I'll have missed.

[Stu748R]

Aparently they can do that here too if you recieved a caution 12 months prior and reoffended.

[Monty]

I read somewhere that there were plans for something similar here, something to do with ASBO's. EG, you ride a motorcycle therefore you must be anti social, therefore we will confiscate your bike. I expect his tonyness will back away from it as it would be a HUGE can of worms-or maybe not since they really don't give a dam waht the ellectorate think-we have to do as they say not as they do.

John

[psychlist]

Originally posted by Stu748R
Aparently they can do that here too if you recieved a caution 12 months prior and reoffended.

Yes, and at least one anti-social hooligan has been served with such. It's funny how my teachings from the IAM were what got me "Nicked" in the first place

[philthy]

I thought I was going to get to the punchline at the end - but it's true?

Wow!

I've obviously missed something here psychlist. IAM teachings get you nicked? Is there a thread to inform me ?