The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) demands that any new government must Move on Motorcycling. MAG will place the future of motorcycling firmly into the coming general election campaigning dialogue.
MAG launches its general election manifesto, Move on Motorcycling, today. We see potential for the death of motorcycling if current policy trends are not radically challenged. Riders watch policy makers continually side-line motorcycling, and view proposals to ban sales of non-electric motorcycles as an existential threat.
Move on Motorcycling.
Move on Motorcycling lays out a route for a new government to allow motorcycling to flourish. The plan calls for an immediate scrapping of any proposals to end sales of internal combustion engine vehicles. Riders and manufacturers all agree that battery electric can only deliver a part of future riders’ needs.
Once this immediate threat is removed, any new government should focus on removing barriers to entry. Many potential riders are dissuaded from entering or remaining as members of the motorcycling community. MAG identifies three key policy areas to reverse this issue. The manifesto calls for reform of the licencing regime; creation of a tougher deterrence for motorcycle theft; and adoption of the Welcoming Roads vision for road safety.
Once barriers are removed, the new government can focus on policies to encourage modal shift to powered two-wheelers and amplify the benefits. The manifesto calls for government mandating of motorcycle-specific policies in all local transport plans. Also, MAG wants to see a government that will maximise road access for motorcycles and adopt a fair approach to parking charges. Disproportionate taxation of motorcycling – whether nationally or locally – for congestion and air quality management schemes must be addressed. The manifesto calls for taxation that reflects the benefits the mode provides as part of a multi-modal transport mix.
MAG’s Director of Campaigns & Political Engagement, Colin Brown, said:
“With this manifesto we plan to put motorcycling into the political debate for election campaigns. Everywhere we look we see policies building issues into riders’ lives. Government should seek to protect riders from harms, not be their author. We want this general election to be remembered as the one that finally produced a government with the vision and ability to deliver a better future for motorcyclists.”
The full Move on Motorcycling manifesto can be found at www.mag-uk.org/move-on-motorcycling/
Main photo by Jusdevoyage on Unsplash