Cyclists will be banned from the Mountain Road during the Festival of Motorcycling.

The measure was announced as part of the road safety campaign for this year’s festival which begins this weekend.

Cycling will be prohibited for safety reasons between Ramsey Hairpin and the Creg ny Baa Back Road from 9.30am on Friday (August 18) until 4.30pm on Monday September 4.

The Mountain Road will remain open to two-way traffic outside of race periods.

Several thousand visitors are expected to travel to the island for the festival, which is due to gets underway with the first practice session on Saturday evening.

The image of a visiting biker who was fatally injured in a collision on the Mountain Road provides the focus for road safety campaign.

Lewis Clark, who died during the 2015 event, features on a billboard at Ramsey Hairpin and in a pocket-sized information leaflet that includes road closure times and helpful advice.

Officers from Roads Policing Unit and the government’s road safety team are putting the message out that ’The Force Is Around You’ to alert road users to the increased presence of marked and covert police vehicles equipped with video cameras.

Trained officers will be on patrol and will deal with the minority of people who persist in riding or driving dangerously.

Efforts have been stepped up to highlight safety messages to the increasing number of visitors from Europe, with the publication of speed conversion charts and ’keep left’ stickers in five different languages.

Road safety officers will also be on board ferry sailings during practice week to speak to bikers and distribute helpful information.

Motorists and bikers are urged to take notice of a speed limit at the exit to the Wildlife Park and be aware of highway improvements at The Bungalow.

Home Affairs Minister Bill Malarkey MHK said: ’Speeding and dangerous riding will not be tolerated and those who break the law can expect to be dealt with by the courts.’