[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of
Tredyffrin as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 195.
[Adopted as Ch. VI, Art. III, § 304B, of the 1979
General Laws of the Municipality of Tredyffrin]
This article shall be known as the "Minibike Inspection and Registration
Ordinance of Tredyffrin Township."
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
That type of muffler commonly used on minibikes and other vehicles
which prevents the exhaust gas from passing straight through the muffler or
exhaust pipe. A baffled muffler shall be defined for the purposes of this
article as one which requires the exhaust gases to pass through a series of
steel plates, tubes or fiberglass packing in order to muffle the noise of
the engine.
The goggles or full protective shield that shall be worn shall be
of a clear and unbreakable, shatterproof material which fully covers the eyes
and which fits tightly against the face.
Every motor vehicle having a saddle for the use of riders and designed
to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground, bicycles
with motor attached, including those vehicles known as "trail bikes," "motorbikes"
and "minibikes," except any such vehicle as may be included within the term
"tractor," as defined in the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code,[1] or any such vehicle which is inspected and/or licensed by the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania under applicable law.
The protective helmet that shall be worn under the provisions of
this article shall have a fiberglass or plastic (polymer) outer shell and
either high-density foam or Styrofoam lining. It shall cover the entire cranium,
the ears, the back of the head and the upper part of the neck.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 101 et seq.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a minibike upon any property,
private or public, in the Township of Tredyffrin, unless said minibike is
registered and tagged as herein provided.
Within one month of the effective date of this article, each minibike
maintained in the Township of Tredyffrin which is used or intended to be used
on any property, private or public, in Tredyffrin Township shall be registered
with the Tredyffrin Township Police Department.
The Police Department may enact rules and regulations in accordance
with this article for the registration and inspection of minibikes.
The aforesaid registration shall be made upon forms to be provided by
the Police Department in accordance with this article and the rules and regulations
enacted by the Police Department hereunder. The fee for the registration of
each minibike shall be as set from time to time by resolution of the Board
of Supervisors.
Each minibike shall be reregistered annually during the month of September
each year after its original registration.
Upon such registration or reregistration, the Police Department shall
issue license, tags or stickers to be valid for a period of one year, or upon
reregistration during the month of September each year hereafter, whichever
shall be the first to occur. Such issuance of tags or stickers is contingent
upon satisfactory compliance with the rules and regulations and safety inspection
hereinafter provided for. Such license, tag or sticker numbers and registration
shall be serially numbered and kept on file in the Police Department as a
matter of public record. Upon such registration, the Police Department shall
cause such identification tag or sticker to be affixed to the registered minibike,
serially numbered to correspond with the registration number. Such tag or
sticker shall remain affixed to the minibike unless removed by the Police
Department for cause or upon reregistration. Duplicate tags or stickers or
a replacement sticker shall be issued for a fee as set from time to time by
resolution of the Board of Supervisors in the event of theft or loss upon
the owner providing a written statement that such theft or loss has taken
place.
All registrations shall expire the first Saturday in September of each
year, and the costs of reregistration shall be as set from time to time by
resolution of the Board of Supervisors.
No bike shall be registered which, in the opinion of the Police Department
of the township, after inspection by the duly authorized representative of
the Department at a location designated by the Superintendent of Police, is
in unsafe mechanical condition, nor shall an identification tag or sticker
be issued with respect to such unsafe minibike, nor shall such minibike be
registered or identification tag or sticker be issued in the event that the
owner does not present himself at the time of such inspection with a protective
helmet and goggles, as herein defined, and aver in writing that said protective
helmet and goggles belong exclusively to him/her and/or that he/she will not
operate or permit the minibike to be operated unless the operator wears said
protective helmet and goggles. Further, no minibike shall be registered nor
shall any identification tag or sticker be issued hereunder unless said minibike
shall be equipped with a baffled muffler, as hereinafter defined, and unless
said baffled muffler is in working order.
No person shall willfully remove, deface or destroy any identification
tag or sticker.
Within two weeks after any minibike registered hereunder shall have
changed ownership or shall have been dismantled or taken out of operation,
the person in whose name the minibike has been registered shall report such
information to the Police Department. In case of a change of ownership, registration
shall thereupon change to show the name of the new owner. In the case of the
dismantling or taking out of operation of such minibike, the registration
shall be canceled and the identification tag or sticker destroyed.
No person shall operate an unlicensed or unregistered minibike in Tredyffrin
Township, and no person shall operate a registered and tagged minibike in
a manner which is deemed dangerous by said Police Department to the person
or property of other users of land in Tredyffrin Township.
[Amended 10-19-1998 by Ord.
No. HR-278; 10-2-2000 by Ord.
No. HR-290]
Any person who violates or permits a violation of this article, shall
be guilty of a summary violation and, upon conviction, shall be sentenced
to pay a fine of not more than $1,000, plus all court costs, including reasonable
attorney's fees, incurred by the township in the enforcement of this article.
Each day a violation exists shall constitute a separate offense. In default
of the payment of any fine, the defendant shall be sentenced to imprisonment
to the extent allowed by law for the punishment of summary offenses. Further,
the appropriate officers or agents of the township are hereby authorized to
seek any other available relief at law or equity, including injunction, to
enforce compliance with this article.
