Councils monitoring anti-boy-racer bylaw

Auckland councils will watch Christchurch's anti-boy-racer bylaw as it takes effect today, but any plans to enact similar legislation will have to wait until the Super City takeover.

Rodney District Council said it would look at anti-street racing legislation immediately if the Super City were not on the horizon.

Boy racers were a problem on Rodney's isolated, rural roads, said communications adviser Mike Isle.

They represented a safety hazard, as many rural roads were hilly, windy and poorly lit at night.

"That will be a bylaw consideration no doubt for the incoming [Super City] council," said Mr Isle.

Waitakere City Council was "keeping an eye on" the situation in Christchurch to see how effective the bylaw was, a spokeswoman told the Herald yesterday.

But the Waitakere and North Shore city councils would not consider new laws with local government changes so close.

Papakura District Council recently drafted a bylaw to prohibit groups of street racers congregating in industrial areas.

It aims to ban vehicles from several roads between 10pm and 5am unless they have a reason to be there.

The Manukau City Council has a similar bylaw, allowing it to ban vehicles from certain roads.

An Auckland City Council spokesman said there were not enough problems with street racers in its area to warrant legislation.

The Christchurch bylaw bans cars from driving repeatedly through central city streets in a way that draws attention to the power or sound of the engine. Police can fine infringers $1000.