Farmers up and down the UK have been able to breathe a sigh of relief after the European Parliaments Market Committee voted to remove any quad bikes classed as utility from the new regulations. Farmers had feared that the regulations would mean having to make changes to their existing quad bikes which they rely on and use on farms, which would make them potentially unsafe and which would put up prices on new bikes.
However, while for now their fears have been staved off this is not to say that they are out of the thick of it just yet. The final decision still has to be made by the whole of European Parliament. For now the regulations will only include motor cycles and quad bikes used on the road. Quads used on farms for now will fall under the category which includes tractors and agricultural vehicles.
If the proposed changes go ahead it could make life very difficult for the many farmers who rely heavily on quad bikes to get around their farms. Scottish farmers particularly rely on their machines to run their farms thanks to the terrain being very difficult. The news has been welcomed by the NFUS vice president who said that they welcome the committee’s decision in regards to excluding farm quad bikes from the new regulations.
If the regulations, as feared, were to include quad bikes used by farmers, farmers feared the proposed legislation in regards to safety and anti-pollution devices could be too costly.