IN a move that we feared was going to happen, the Swiss government is looking to ban certain motorcycles from riding in the Tyrol.
The move comes just a couple of weeks after Austria also placed a ban on noisy motorcycles riding in certain roads of the Tyrol region, and also all private vehicles in centre of Vienna.
The ruling, being put forward by Gabriela Suter (Social Democratic Party of Switzerland), will prohibit all motorcycles that produce over 95dB from riding in or through Switzerland.
Speaking about the new ruling, she said:
“Tyrol is leading the way: Motorbikes whose parking noise exceeds 95 decibels will be banned on popular excursion routes from June 10, 2020. Tirol will thus react to the noise caused by noisy motorbikes. Especially on summer weekends, booming motorcycle traffic with high-speed driving during acceleration and braking processes is a nuisance the calm in the Alps This driving ban based on noise for the first time in Austria should lead to a noticeable relief for people and nature.
“In Switzerland too, overheated motorcycles are a major annoyance, particularly on popular mountain passes in the Prealps and Alps, but also in the Swiss plateau. The noise unduly affects people and nature. Various proposals in Parliament have so far failed due to the argument that noise levels must comply with EU directives in order not to endanger the land transport agreement with the EU. Since the driving ban in Tyrol is obviously possible in accordance with the EU, motorcycles with a parking level of over 95 dB / A should also no longer be allowed to drive in Switzerland.”
The move plan has obviously been met with criticism from the Swiss motorcycle community, with one MP, Walter Wobmann, who is also the central president of the Federation of Motorcyclists in Switzerland, calling for motorcyclists to ‘stand together’ against the plans.
He said: “We all have to fight back. Everyone who is interested in the motorcycle hobby must stand together across all party boundaries. In any case, I will fight with all my might. If everyone stands together, we can win. The next time will be decisive! You really do lose only if you don't fight. That's a principle of mine.”
