ATV crackdown launched in N.L. town

The mayor of the largest town in Newfoundland and Labrador says a crackdown on all-terrain vehicles see machines seized, and soon, if they're found breaking traffic laws.

"I think it'll only be a matter of a couple of days and we'll have one of these vehicles seized," Woodrow French said, as the town explained a new policy on cracking down on the machines at a public meeting on Monday night.

Enforcement officers are now empowered to hand out tickets and even seize vehicles if they are being driven in the town.

Conception Bay South, which is just west of St. John's, maintains a strong rural character in parts of the community, but is quickly being filled in with subdivisions and other developments.

"It's phenomenal, the amount of growth … We're really growing by leaps and bounds," said French. But with new subdivisions and commercial development comes conflict with ATVs and dirt bikes, particularly among younger users.

French referred to a collision in the Seal Cove neighbourhood last week between two users whom police identified as being adolescent boys.

"It's a matter of time before somebody gets killed, and that's not a word of a lie. It shows that somebody has to address this problem," French said.

The town has for years fielded complaints about ATVs and other off-road vehicles, including ATVs on public trails.

'It's a matter of time before somebody gets killed, and that's not a word of a lie' —Mayor Woodrow French

French noted, however, that the Newfoundland and Labrador government has jurisdiction for the popular T'Railway, a trail made out of a former railway line that stretches across the island.

For its own roads, however, the town will enforce provincial traffic legislation in order to protect drivers, but especially pedestrians.

"People and machines do not mix well, and if there's a confrontation between a person and a machine, the machine is going to win," French said.

ATVs used to fetch lunch

Resident Doug Mallett said he hopes improper use of the machines will not be tolerated any longer.

"The other day, we were looking at people on our $100,000 worth of sidewalks along four lanes of traffic in rush hour, driving down the road on ATVs," Mallett told CBC News.

Among other things, enforcement officers will be watching schools and gas stations to catch people who have illegally used their ATVs and parked them there.

"If you're driving across the parking lot of town hall, we can seize your vehicle," said Brian Cranford, the town's municipal enforcement supervisor.

Cranford said he recently saw a man drive an ATV to a fast-food restaurant, just to get lunch.

Cranford said there are limits to what enforcements will do to catch an offender.

"We don't need to be chasing someone down the road. We'll just wait until they go home, and then we'll go talk to them," he said.

French said he expects to see fines handed out almost immediately.