[Closed] The red dots on a 50,000 OS map

The exact nature of the rights on these routes and the existence of any restrictions may be checked with the local highway authority.

From the legend.

OS can't be relied upon for PROW, most local authorities have a online map these days

England & Wales, the only Rights of Way that can be used by motorised trail bikes are Byways Open to All Traffic (assuming no Traffic Regulation Orders apply). The dotted routes are other tracks and trails, possibly old county roads or similar and may or may not have vehicular rights. As others say, you need to confirm on the Definitive Maps usually held at Local Authority or List of Streets usually held at the County Council.

Thanks, just wondering as 4 lads on trail bikes were on a ROW in Swaledale today (which I thought was a bridleway) & It's a red dot track. No worries really, they gave way to us & weren't ragging it anyway, so it could be a bona fide trail.

So, you aren't certain who is allowed to use the the track that you were on...?

You’re fine until the landlord gets arsey. Then the local authority will suddenly find they don’t really know why the track is recorded as ORPA and maybe it shouldn’t be and...oh dear, time for a long-drawn-out legal wrangle that leaves everyone cheesed off. (Yes, I’m looking at you Durham County Council)

So, you aren’t certain who is allowed to use the the track that you were on…?

Err, no. That's why I asked.
Do me a favour, you tell me.
Track with red dots, OS 50,000 map. 'Other public access' Motorcycles or not?

I'll check later to see if you found out.

esselgruntfuttock

Member
So, you aren’t certain who is allowed to use the the track that you were on…?

Err, no. That’s why I asked.
Do me a favour, you tell me.
Track with red dots, OS 50,000 map. ‘Other public access’ Motorcycles or not?
I’ll check later to see if you found out.

[whisper]I think it's being suggested that you may not have ascertained that you had a right to be there either[/whisper]

Isn't there a legal difference though?
Cycling on a footpath (or other similarly restricted RoW) is a civil offence, but a motorbike on a BW is actually against the law.

Cycling on a footpath (or other similarly restricted RoW) is a civil offence, but a motorbike on a BW is actually against the law.

Well, cycling on a footpath that doesn’t run parallel with a road is a civil offence, cycling on a bridleway is legal, using a motorbike is illegal, but is legal on a BOAT, unless, as psling says, there are restricted traffic orders in place.

If it was a footpath, bridleway, or byway it would most likely be recorded as such on the OS map. If it's marked as an ORPA then it is likely to be on the list of streets. If it is on the list of streets it would be legal for motorbikes, in the absence of a TRO. However not all ORPA are on the list of streets, so you'd have to check with the local authority to be sure of the status. Similarly the OS map may not always be correct regarding public rights of way and the definitive status would need to be checked on the definitive map (footpath, bridleway, byway) or list of streets with the local authority.

My understanding was that ORPA was the OS classification for unclassified roads / tracks , the ones that previously were just white, but that didn't differentiate between someones driveway or a forestry / wind farm / reservoir / shooting access road with no RoW, and an actual road in the middle of nowhere.

So they will appear on the list of streets.

BUT: there might be TRO's banning motorbikes / cyclists / horses and the state of the 'road' could be anything from a narrow lane to something only realistically passable on a horse. I suppose in principal there should be enough detail with the dots to make that distinction, eg two parallel dashed lines should denote a road of some sort without walls/fencing but it's sometimes a a bit of a looser interpretation!