Muck And Potholes – On Facebook
15th April 2010
All Northern Irish motorcyclists have the right to clean roads!
So says a new Facebook page which asks people to join and support motorcyclists in the pursuit to have our local government sit up and take notice of the disgraceful state of our roads – everything from potholes to farmers trailing mud all over the B-roads.
The page founded by Stephen Leathem (Leo), on behalf of all motorcyclists in Northern Ireland says that, “We pay our Road Tax just like everyone else and have the right to clean, safe roads!” asking for motorcyclists to join the cause before there is another life and bike ruined!”
Stephen is asking to send any photos of the poor road conditions or post them yourself on the Facebook wall and he will make sure they go to the right place.
Stephen has spoken to Jeffrey Donaldson, Democratic Unionist Party MP for Lagan Valley and MLA who has written to the Divisional Roads Manager enquiring what steps are being taken by the Roads Service, the Department of the Environment and others to address the problems.
At Right To Ride we say, ”It’s not rocket science, poor road design and maintenance can contribute to motorcycle crashes, injuries, and fatalities.” Our “Fix A Road” page on our website highlights the issues faced by riders from, stone chip dressing, diesel spills, non grip man hole covers, road debris, potholes.
The Right To Ride page also points you to the Roads Service website, where you can report a road fault and download our “Hazard Fault Report Form” for when you are out and about as an aide memoire if you come across a hazard or fault on the road that you consider is a danger to motorcyclists.
The Department of the Environment (DOE) recent consultation paper to prepare a new road safety strategy for Northern Ireland, highlights issues of concerns for motorcyclists which include:
- Consider the needs and vulnerability of motorcyclists when designing new roads and implementing safety measures on existing roads.
- Undertake studies to measure the road safety improvements resulting from resurfacing, surface dressing and other maintenance operations.
We would urge motorcyclists to join this Facebook page and to put pen to paper to answer the DOE consultation, you may not have a better opportunity to improve motorcycling in Northern Ireland.
It’s up to you!
All Northern Irish motorcyclists have the right to clean roads! – Facebook – Click Here 
Right To Ride – Road Safety Consultation – What’s In It For Motorcycling – Click Here 
Do Real Road Racers Take Precedence Over Road Legal Bikers?
19th April 2010
The Motorcycle Real Road Racing Blog comments on the state of the roads for “road legal” bikes pointing out allegedly that a considerable amount of time and money are spent, ensuring that real road racing circuits are in premium condition, well above the normal roads network that our tax’s pays for!
Motorcycle Real Road Racing Blog by Barbiegirl Northern Ireland
Despite Saturday morning being such a beautiful day for biking, some of us had to work, but not one of my colleagues who turned up just to show of his latest toy – an all black BMW S1000RR Superbike – what a poseur.
Today though, having endured a 3 hour trip around our scenic local third world public roads – the BMW is back at the dealers – chipped paintwork, damaged wheels, and coolant fluid leaking from someplace it really ought not to be leaking from.
All Northern Irish motorcyclists have the right to clean roads!
So says Stephen Leathem who is asking people to join and support all motorcyclists in the pursuit to have our local government sit up and take notice of the disgraceful state of our roads – everything from potholes to farmers trailing mud all over the B-roads.
On his Facebook page, Stephen says: ‘We pay our Road Tax just like everyone else and have the right to clean, safe roads!’ and continues by asking for all motorcyclists to join the cause before there is another life, and bike ruined!
Trevor Baird at Right To Ride has rightly stated: ‘It’s not rocket science, poor road design and maintenance can contribute to motorcycle crashes, injuries, and fatalities. The “Fix A Road” page on our website highlights the issues faced by riders from, stone chip dressing, diesel spills, non grip man hole covers, road debris, potholes.
Right To Ride also points you to the Roads Service website, where you can report a road fault and download a “Hazard Fault Report Form” for when you are out and about as an aide memoire if you come across a hazard or fault on the road that you consider is a danger to motorcyclists.
Mister angry – alias my colleague – now less his prized BMW S1000RR Superbike – also made the same point as Stephen Leathem – about having paid his Road Tax to legally use our public roads – then continued by vehmently claiming that due to incompetence, the Northern Irish public roads network is now unfit for purpose, and a danger to all legal users.
According to the Roads Service own website – an Agency within the Department for Regional Development: ‘The road network plays a vital role in promoting economic growth in Northern Ireland with 99% of freight and people movements being made by road.’ That being the case, why then has the Roads Service – under the alleged control of Minister Conor Murphy – failed to adequately maintain our much depended upon road network?
There are some roads though that the Roads service does maintain, regardless of cost – allegedly – so next time any road legal bikers want to make use of of muck and potholes free roads within our Province – travel to Cookstown, the North West, or any of our other still in use motorcycle real road race tracks, because the Roads Service allegedly spends a considerable amount of time and money, ensuring those roads are in premium condition – and also remember this – all road legal bikers, and motorists, are footing the bill – not the MCUI-UC!
As mentioned in an earlier article – BikersRVoters are contacting all of the political parties in Northern Ireland to give a political platform/soapbox for politicians and their political parties to inform motorcyclists of their views on motorcycling as part of the Northern Ireland transport mix – and are also enabling motorcyclists to get their message to politicians by offering them “The Rider’s Soap Box” which should be of interest to ALL aggrieved bikers.
Give your feedback to the wannabe politicians – tell them to sit up and take notice of the disgraceful state of our roads – Tell Them Now @ BikersRVoters
Save Our Sport From Evil
©2010 Motorcycle RealRoadRacing Blog by Barbiegirl Northern Ireland
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Here, here!
Country roads with farmer’s tractors leaving wads of muck across the road to skid on. Builder’s plant machinery does much the same at site road entrances and exits. Diesel & oil from trucks and buses; just have a look a look at the road on any bus route when its raining, you can see a trail of both throughout. Loose gravel spilt on to roads, (unluckily it always seems to be on bends for some reason), it must be from quarry trucks. Potholes virtually everywhere. White lines, signage and bloody arrows painted all over the road to slip on. We dont need them! Slippy manholes on bends are a particular annoyance of mine.
This sort of nonsense together with the already dreadful road surface quality overall in N.I. makes a lethal combination. The wet weather and flooding during the winter months made it madness to ride on the road if you commute on a bike. You didnt know what was coming next.
Thanks for highlighting these issues for bikers. We need to speak out.
Regards,
Jay.