Police have been urged to bolster their response to dangerous driving by young motorcyclists, with experts calling for increased enforcement and more officers on the streets.

The issue was discussed on Tuesday during a Sigma TV programme with Isotita union president Nikos Loizides and transport specialist Loukas Demetriou, amid concern over motorcycles being used for dangerous manoeuvres or ‘wheelies’, and speeding on public roads.

Loizides said police regulations set out specific circumstances in which officers can pursue a vehicle, such as stolen or wanted vehicles, drivers fleeing the scene of a crime, vehicles carrying false registration plates, as well as those who fail to stop when instructed.

However, he stressed that officers must also apply the principle of proportionality and assess the potential risks to the suspect, police and members of the public before deciding whether to begin or continue a pursuit.

The issue is particularly acute in cases involving motorcycles without registration plates, Loizides said.

Isotita has proposed legislative changes under which seized motorcycles would not be returned to their owners until court proceedings have concluded.

It has also proposed examining the cancellation of their registration.

Loizides said cameras fitted to patrol cars could provide police with evidence of serious traffic offences and help identify offenders without necessarily requiring officers to pursue them.

A pursuit is therefore not always required, he said, for a motorcyclist who passes a patrol car without a helmet or registration plates can be identified and dealt with later if officers are able to establish the rider’s identity and connect them to the vehicle.

Demetriou said police should consider alternative measures when a pursuit could create a greater risk of an accident or collision.

These could include cameras, roadblocks and other coordinated methods of identifying offenders.

He described the behaviour of some young motorists as “antisocial and dangerous”, while warning that a culture in which confrontations with police are treated as a “game of cat and mouse” could contribute to further incidents.

Loizides also called for more officers on the streets, including bicycle police, as well as members of the rapid response Z team.