Pony and Trap Racing: Regulation

Order. I will call Sarah Green to move the motion. I will then call the Minister to respond. I remind other Members that they may make a speech only with prior permission from the Member in charge of the debate and the Minister. There will be no opportunity for the Member in charge to wind up, as is the convention for 30-minute debates.

I beg to move,

That this House has considered the regulation of pony and trap racing on public roads.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stringer. The debate is about the regulation of pony and trap racing on public roads but, to be more specific, there is no regulation and it is sorely needed. If someone wants to organise a cycling competition or road race in the UK using the main roads, there are regulations to follow. There are licences they need to get and authorities they have to consult, which means that cycling races are routinely organised safely and with minimum disruption to the community hosting a race. None of that is true for pony and trap racing. I suggest that the Government need to introduce regulations for pony and trap racing along the same lines, primarily because of road safety, but also because of the significant policing resource that these unofficial races eat up.

I commend the hon. Lady for bringing this issue forward. She is right to highlight it. The reason is quite simple: there is no doubt that there are significant safety risks that come along with it, especially for young drivers. As an example, in 2023 on the Antrim Road in Belfast, Northern Ireland, a teen lost control of what is referred to as a sulky cart, resulting in a collision with a car and causing serious injury. Does the hon. Lady agree that for the safety of drivers, pedestrians and indeed the animals themselves, there must be greater discussion with the devolved nations on guidance for pony and trap racing, especially on our public roads?

I agree. These races happen in my constituency on a fairly regular basis and I have similar stories to share. One such race took place this weekend. Residents of Chalfont St Peter and Gerrards Cross have their weekends disrupted by pony and trap racing events, also known as sulky racing, far too often. During these events, the A413, a stretch of busy dual carriageway, becomes an unauthorised racetrack. The races attract not just competitors and their support vehicles, but spectators who gather to watch them and place bets on the outcome.

To be clear about what I am referring to, pony and trap racing is a form of horseracing where two-wheeled carts are pulled by a single pony that thunders down a stretch of public road. These events can involve multiple traps racing each other or a single vehicle completing a time trial. Those taking part in these races in my community gather at a section of the A413 and run a series of races along the straight stretch of dual carriageway. The immediate danger is posed to those already using the dual carriageway. While the races are taking place, support vehicles follow the ponies and traps. Those are larger vehicles, usually 4x4s or pick-up trucks, which sometimes have a horse box with them. They drive next to each other and block both lanes of the carriageway, creating an illegal rolling roadblock to allow the race to take place.

My experience of treating horses that are taking part in these races, and that of all other equine vets, is that there is very little regard for animal welfare in these situations. Not only are they often unshod, they are often underdeveloped and immature and carrying large, often multiple, men in a cart. This can cause a huge amount of animal welfare issues. The injuries are horrific. Does my hon. Friend agree this is as much an animal welfare issue as it is a public safety issue?

I do agree, and I thank my hon. Friend for raising the animal welfare point. It is legal to ride a horse down our public roads, but they are being put in unfair danger.

On a busy dual carriageway with vehicles travelling at speeds of up to 70 mph, the lives of innocent road users and of the animals themselves, as my hon. Friend has just mentioned, are endangered as the rolling roadblock forces motorists to slam on their brakes with no prior warning of the hazard ahead. Without proper regulation in place, there is a high risk of a serious accident or worse. Without licensing, there is no organiser to hold accountable for any of the unacceptable and sometimes dangerous behaviour taking place.

The regularity of pony and trap events has increased in recent years, and it is outrageous that my constituents should be put through this on a regular basis. Just last month a constituent reported being run off the road twice by the vehicles supporting the race taking place. As the law stands, it is legal to use a pony and trap on the public highway, but there are no regulations in place and no licence is required. There are no procedures to follow and no accountability for those who organise pony and trap races. On the grounds of road safety alone, I urge the Government to introduce a licensing scheme.

I would also like to mention the impact these races have on policing locally. In February, Thames Valley police received reports that over 3,000 people were expected to attend an event on the A413. The worry among the local community was palpable. Following significant commitment of resource and effort by Thames Valley police, the projected 3,000 people did not attend on that particular day. However, this is my second reason for calling for regulation: quite apart from the road safety angle, the level of policing time and resource that these races eat up is unacceptable.

Thames Valley police has confirmed that there have been 200 incidents connected to pony and trap racing in our area alone in the last five years. At present, police forces are able to deal with individual offences as they arise, like dangerous driving. If reports are received far enough in advance, section 34 dispersal orders have previously been issued. While these give the police powers to deal with antisocial behaviour, or to disperse crowds, they do not prevent the races themselves from taking place. Once the race has started, it becomes extremely difficult and dangerous for officers to intervene. On this point I echo the Thames Valley police and crime commissioner that prevention is better than cure; I know he is calling for regulation in the way I am today.

It is always a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mr Stringer. I begin by congratulating the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham (Sarah Green) on securing this debate. I thank her for raising pony and trap racing, which is clearly an important issue for her constituents, although I confess that, until I started to prepare for this debate, it was not something that I had experienced, nor have I seen it in my constituency. I imagine that it is not something found in all constituencies, but it is clearly an issue in some.

As the Minister responsible for road safety, I am pleased to be able to respond on behalf of this Government. I want to be clear that ensuring the safety of all road users and improving road safety is one of the Department’s highest priorities. We are currently considering a variety of road safety measures for inclusion in a strategy, and I reassure the hon. Lady and others that the Department takes road safety seriously. As we develop the strategy, I am committed to continuing to engage with hon. Members, stakeholders and road safety organisations. Today’s debate forms part of that work, so I thank hon. Lady for taking this opportunity to bring the issue of pony and trap racing to my attention. I look forward to publishing the road safety strategy in due course.

I note that concerns have been raised in this debate about pony and trap racing being a seasonal problem on certain roads, the potential for it to create risks on our roads and the disruption it can cause to local residents. The hon. Lady made a powerful case, setting out how the issue impacts people in her local area and why she is bringing it to the attention of the House. She also drew attention to the absence of a licensing framework similar to the licensing scheme for cycle races held on public roads. I also note the animal welfare concerns highlighted by the hon. Member for Winchester (Dr Chambers).

In considering and potentially dealing with the issue of pony and trap racing, there is a challenge of ensuring that the use of a pony and trap as a legitimate transport means is not made illegal. The question is how to differentiate between activity that is legal and that which is not. There are already existing powers in the legislative framework to deal with occurrences of pony and trap racing that breach the current road traffic legislation. That is a local policing matter, and we believe that the existing powers are sufficient. The police can use those powers to tackle any unlawful pony and trap racing; for example, I understand that they have utilised existing powers such as dispersal notices as a means of preventing potentially unlawful pony and trap racing, and the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham referred to the use of such measures.