Dear Editor, It was with great delight that I read in Monday’s Cook Islands News (2/10/23), that there are at least two other persons on Rarotonga who share my frustration at the number of “noisy and illegal” motorbikes yahooing around various parts of Rarotonga.

That letter writer was referring to some particular law breaker(s) regularly speeding through the middle of the Avarua Town area, past the Police National Headquarters no less, and also in the Tupapa area, and was invoking the local MP George (Action Man) Maggie to do something about the issue.

The village I am concerned with is Kavera. Mr Trev Pitt (police spokesperson) will recall that we have already had some exchanges on this issue; I also had occasion to speak directly about this problem to the Police Commissioner, as well as the Deputy Commissioner, after this year’s Anzac Day Dawn Parade (Yes back in April). I have also raised the issue with Teariki Heather, local MP.   I would bet that most of these yahoo riders are already known to the Akava, especially to the younger Constabulary. Perhaps it requires more funding, and more resources … over to you Mr. Minister of Police!

Every Saturday and Sunday afternoon, we still get these noisy motorbikes yahooing up and down the Kavera main road, often stunting on their back wheels, which in itself is illegal, stupid and dangerous. The Transport Act specifically states that it is “illegal” to tamper with a Bike’s Muffler system! It is not difficult to figure out that these bikes are well above any normal and acceptable bike muffler noise level therefore they have been tampered with, and are therefore “illegal”.

As Monday’s writer said, perhaps those riders are out looking for their lost eardrums. Simple solution to this issue:

• One verbal warning to any and all riders of noisy bikes (If they can hear you).
• One week to get the mufflers back to acceptable legal street level otherwise confiscate – beginning of the end of problem!

Andy Olah