City bans late night 'cruising' by boy racers

Christchurch's new bylaw prohibits cruising on selected city streets seven days a week between the hours of 10pm to 5am. File photo / The Aucklander

The Christchurch City Council is the first council in the country to ban late night "cruising" by boy racers.

The council today approved its Cruising Bylaw 2010 that prohibits cruising on selected city streets seven days a week between the hours of 10pm to 5am.

It bans "driving repeatedly in the same direction over the same section of a road in a manner that draws attention to the power or sound of the engine of the vehicle, or that creates a convoy that is formed otherwise than in trade and impedes traffic flow".

The council decided that repeatedly means not more than once within a 60 minute period.

Breaching the cruising bylaw can attract a fine of up to $1000 or an infringement fee of $150.

Mayor Bob Parker said the bylaw would not solve all the problems associated with anti-social road use, but was another tool to defeat the problem.

"If the short term solution means a plethora of signage so be it. It is the lesser of the two evils," he said.

- NZPA