Post by daveh on Mar 28, 2018 9:56:41 GMT 2
There is the start of a thread in the shoutbox - so i set one up as this will be an onging area as things still aren't finalised.
As it stands today only quads of 125cc or over will be allowed on an asphalt road. This bans all the 50cc quads which account for about 80% of the tourist market which will have a massive impact to rental businesses.
The reasons given are for safety and not due to fact need licence for bigger bikes. However campainers are quick to point out stats available from the Police, 2015 - less than 2% accidents involved quads, 2016 it was just 0.7% and similar in first half of 2017. There is no breakdown for quads under 125cc. So accidents minimal and clearly much less than cars. Because of this and impact on business there are ongoing campaigns to defer this or bring in gradually, who can replace whole fleet of bikes in one go, how do they sell all small quads (only option to export). Representatives from all Islands and tourist areas have been visiting Athens. So there will be further announcements which we will try to keep up with and post.
You can still rent a 50cc to use off road. However they may not have enough power to cope with the hilly and sometimes difficult tracks. Then of course there is the question of how do you get too and from the tracks.
Another question is who will enforce the change? Will it be the rider and/or the business fined. Will it just be the business targeted, making no hires likely, and maybe closed down.
The one thing for sure at present will be an increase in scooter hire. I haven't seen the accident stats for scooters but my guess is they are probably higher than those for quads as they are more at risk from the as yet unfilled potholes that litter the roads following a very wet winter.
Plesse add to this thread, updates, thoughts. Let the debate begin.
As it stands today only quads of 125cc or over will be allowed on an asphalt road. This bans all the 50cc quads which account for about 80% of the tourist market which will have a massive impact to rental businesses.
The reasons given are for safety and not due to fact need licence for bigger bikes. However campainers are quick to point out stats available from the Police, 2015 - less than 2% accidents involved quads, 2016 it was just 0.7% and similar in first half of 2017. There is no breakdown for quads under 125cc. So accidents minimal and clearly much less than cars. Because of this and impact on business there are ongoing campaigns to defer this or bring in gradually, who can replace whole fleet of bikes in one go, how do they sell all small quads (only option to export). Representatives from all Islands and tourist areas have been visiting Athens. So there will be further announcements which we will try to keep up with and post.
You can still rent a 50cc to use off road. However they may not have enough power to cope with the hilly and sometimes difficult tracks. Then of course there is the question of how do you get too and from the tracks.
Another question is who will enforce the change? Will it be the rider and/or the business fined. Will it just be the business targeted, making no hires likely, and maybe closed down.
The one thing for sure at present will be an increase in scooter hire. I haven't seen the accident stats for scooters but my guess is they are probably higher than those for quads as they are more at risk from the as yet unfilled potholes that litter the roads following a very wet winter.
Plesse add to this thread, updates, thoughts. Let the debate begin.