In return for helping we ask for

• acknowledgement, including website address and an entry in the event programme
• you to correct people's misunderstandings and speak up for us - particularly with other rights of way (RoW) users, at your Local Access Forum and also at public inquiries for byways
• an agreed donation mainly for byways research and conservation - and remember that our helpers are unpaid volunteers

08/11/2005 NERC Bill presently in the House of Lords Proposes ending vehicular use on all un-sealed roads..

TRF needs your help
You will loose the Trail Riders Fellowship and thus much help at rides.You will loose this valuable lobby for keeping vehicular rights of way open, so many will become obstructed and horse-riders will face unpleasant confrontations.
There will be endless complications over access for all sorts of reasons:

• access to property,
• access to fields
• access to route a ride
• access for crews
• access for trail rider helpers, RAYNET, stewards, emergencies

Please urgently lobby any Lords (those still sitting in the House) you know or via your MP, and definitely your MP today.
This is the beginning of the end of the rights of way system as we know it:

• (Highways in English law = classes of rights of way)
• Carriageway = Byway
• Bridleway = Bridleway
• Footpath = Footpath

will be dismantled leaving just the dumbed-down classes of footpath and Cycleway.
See www.laragb.org  for good briefing notes.

About the TRF:

TRF members explore byways (un-sealed ways with public vehicular rights, some wrongly signed as bridleway or footpath - we do not ride on bridleways)

• for recreation (not competition) and to enjoy the countryside,
• riding in small groups using road-legal (usually 'trail') motorcycles and
• following the TRF Code of Conduct – riding with responsibility and consideration for others.

TRF members work and campaign effectively to protect and lengthen the byway network by

• maintenance mainly to clear overgrowth and attend to neglected drainage systems
• archive research to support byway claims (‘Byway Open to All Traffic’ - vehicle, horse and foot traffic) on existing heritage highways. Claims merely give the ways the protection of a present-day title, and they are then recorded usefully on Ordnance Survey maps for all to share
• responsible enjoyment by people riding motorcycles - helping to prevent the greatest threats of overgrowth, obstruction, rubbish dumping, neglect, encroachment, illegal ploughing out of the carriageway and destruction of bounding hedges or walls

Keen to have our help but concerned at our enjoyment of byways?

Some problems may be due to motorcyclists typically getting a bad press, perhaps arising from

• residents/farmer/landowner groups creating fear of public access
• some foot user groups selfishly lobbying for their own interests and creating an unpleasant image of all others

the media feeding on propaganda from vested interest groups. Why do photographs of  “4x4 abuse” show no vehicles, while a close look shows the chevron tyre tracks of tractors?  They don't let facts spoil a good story!

Highway Authorities spending only 80p per person per year on RoW - little wonder few follow Government advice on managing byways

What can be done?

• improve funding for RoW, recognising the vital enthusiasm of the vehicle users and the importance of byways for disabled peoples’ access to the heart of the countryside
• existing and recent laws give the Police powers to curb the irresponsible or simply ignorant minority who may ride illegally or cause problems
• the Countryside Agency and the Countryside Council for Wales must publicise access rights and responsibilities for all types of users
• recognise the motives of those opposing our enjoyment of byways
• RoW should be correctly signposted to reduce confusion

Note that of the 120,000 miles of RoW open to walkers only 29% are bridleways and a mere 5% are byways

The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 pushes us to claim byways otherwise experience shows that many will be lost for everyone.  Claims will only add a small proportion but these are often vital safe links in the fragmented network open to horse-riders

The TRF and the motoring organisations’ Land & Access Recreation Association - LARA (www.laragb.org) continue to promote and follow their Codes of Conduct and co-operate with others

We look forward to helping you and to having your support