Albany to vote on increasing fees on illegal ATV and dirt bikes
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A law which will charge $3,000 in fines and fees on illegal ATV and dirt bike riders in the City of Albany will head to a vote April 5.
"There is a real safety issue here and we need to deal with that," said Councilman Richard Conti.
Conti said the motorists are creating a dangerous situation. Recently, an ATV crashed into a school bus where the bus driver was injured.
"It’s also not just an Albany issue. Other areas, other cities, not just in the Capital Region, but nationwide, this is an issue a lot of localities are trying to deal with," Conti said.
A Schenectady Police officer is recovering from injuries after he was hit by an ATV during a call last weekend.
"They’re not looking out for us. They're not looking out for pedestrians. They're not looking out for other vehicle traffic," said Sergeant Nick Mannix.
Mannix said the number of vehicles his department has confiscated this year is easily in the double digits.
"It’s not a quick fix, but we've been having success going the route of investigations, talking to community members, talking to neighbors," Mannix said.