Bike crackdown

THE European Union yesterday called for a crackdown on mini-motorbikes, claiming the machines pose a serious risk to users, notably children, because most of the imported bikes do not meet European safety standards.

EU officials in Brussels said they had placed the mini-combustible engine bike on its alert list of unsafe products, adding they were in most cases being imported illegally. “These bikes are designed to appeal to youngsters, but they are not toys and can kill,” said EU Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou.