MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT - ''THINK BIKE'' ON JUNE 10TH
08 June 2004 - BMF

With less than 48 hours to go before the country votes in the European Parliamentary Elections (and some local), it’s important for all motorcyclists to consider the future of motorcycling when casting their vote.

Yes, there are many other factors to consider, but if you don’t use your vote, you don’t have influence.

BMF Parliamentary spokesman Richard Olliffe said: “Both within the UK and at European level we are faced with a number of environmental and safety issues which we need to ensure are resolved without impairing the future of motorcycling. In the UK curtailment of motorcycling in environmental sensitive areas is of great concern. In Europe the Road Safety Action Programme could see legislation enacted to restrict access to motorcycles when we are at a time when increased use of two wheels would enhance mobility across EU member States”.

Make your vote count ''Think Bike'' on June 10th

See full BMF Election Briefing below:

Briefing: European Parliamentary and UK Local Elections 2004

The elections due to take place on 10th June comprise those for Members of the European Parliament, UK local authorities comprising county councils, unitary authorities and the Greater London Authority and the London Mayor. The policies of all the successful candidates can have a bearing on how motorcycling is dealt with during their terms of service. The following are some comments on the elections and the issues that they raise.

European Parliament Elections

The main significance of this election is that it follows May’s enlargement to 25 member states. Successful candidates for Members of the European Parliament will return to a somewhat different parliament. For the UK, the elections remain a regional list system in which a several MEPs are returned for each of a number of large regions rather than voting for individual candidates standing for constituencies.

The following are some issues related to motorcycling of which you may like to remind candidates.

>> Mainstreaming the powered two-wheeler as transport

Last year an EC White Paper on transport was considered. Initially it made very little reference to the rôle of the PTW using its vulnerability and higher social costs than other modes through accidents as an excuse. Thanks to FEMA’s representation, PTWs were given more recognition of their main virtues in addressing congestion, requiring less road and parking space than cars and able to address social exclusion. In much of Europe, it is generally accepted that mopeds, small motorcycle and scooters can often provide transport for the not so well off so that the term social exclusion is not well understood. European Parliamentary candidates should continue to support this recognition of the PTW.

>> VAT Revisions

The European Commission has been revising its VAT regime and, if enough member states request it an item can be added to an Annex where member states can levy a reduced rate of VAT which can be a lower rate than the standard one or zero. Items added include restaurant services and cut flowers but not safety items. National governments do not have the competence to make this decision. There has also been an attempt to remove the derogations in which one member state is entitled to an exception to the rule. The European Parliament can influence the content of the annex and whether derogations may be sustained. The BMF has sought to allow protective motorcycle clothing (including helmets) and security equipment like secondary locks, alarms and immobilises to be subject to reduced rates of VAT but this has not been supported by the European Parliament and turned down by the Commission. At present, we are left with the UK only derogation for reduced VAT on helmets which the Government is insisting on retaining with other items like children’s clothing. Candidates should be asked to support maintaining the derogation and calling for VAT to be subject to reduced rates for other items of protective clothing and security.

>> Noise and Emissions Limits

Under EC Type-Approval, new motorcycles are currently subject to stringent noise limits and Stage 2 pollutant emissions limits. Noise limits may well be reviewed during next five years and it should be noted that noise problems are from exhaust systems which have been neglected, modified or replaced with illegal systems. Reducing noise for new machines even further is likely to result in even less compliance. Instead, there should be better enforcement of existing limits.

Stage 3 emissions limits are scheduled to be put in place in 2006/7 and intended to be equivalent to those currently in place for catalysed cars. We need support to ensure that the requirements are not too complex which would force up costs of manufacturing and servicing reducing the current advantage of PTWs as inexpensive transport. Innovative design could avoid the use of complex and expensive three-way catalytic converters and on board diagnostics would again increase complexity and cost. The limits should reflect technology which is practical and available rather than an ideal which adversely affects PTWs’ practicality.

>> Safety

Safety in the EU is currently flavour of the month with many proposals to be considered by the European Parliament. FEMA has been proactive in this field by producing the Outline European Agenda For Motorcycle Safety setting out riders’ vision to improve PTW safety without adversely affecting access to them. We should seek to ensure that EU officials including MEPs accept the document and use it as their guide to PTW safety taking on board the more detailed supplements which follow.

The European Road Safety Programme intends to reduce casualties by 50%. Fatalities in Europe are estimated at 40,000 per year so the theme is “20,000 lives to save” which is worrying when ‘saving lives’ is often an excuse for oppressive measures. Like the UK casualty reduction targets, the targets are concerned with numbers rather than rates and hence do not favour the PTW which is subject to increased usage. There is enthusiasm for the measures that are seen to be doing something but may not do so with more emphasis on speed enforcement, seat belt wearing and enforcement of impairment through drink and drugs. In other words, the EU looks like following the UK’s example in which the easy options will be adopted and measures to address driving standards like effective road policing and driver education neglected.

There are a range of projects and meetings taking place covering items like driver/rider training, the infrastructure and innovative ways to reduce casualties.

Already the European motorcycle manufacturers’ body, ACEM has hard-wired headlights (AHO – Automatic Headlights On) on new motorcycles allegedly for safety but as a globalisation measure. Please note that this is not a regulation or directive but a private agreement between manufacturers brokered by ACEM.

FEMA will be signing up to the European Road Safety Charter in which it will make undertakings to improve safety within its sphere of influence. The European Agenda For Motorcycle Safety is expected to be the main vehicle for doing so. However, without a suitable disclaimer, Europe’s riders could be seen to be tacitly supporting some of the more oppressive principles of the charter possibly undermining opposition to any detrimental safety measures which may emerge.

The European Parliament can influence many of these safety issues and should bear in mind the situation of motorcyclists.

>> Draft Third EC Driving Licence Directive

We have already had retrospective amendments to the Second EC Driving Licence foisted upon us by the European Commission in which the European Parliament was not given the opportunity to take part. This is leading to extensive and expensive changes to the motorcycle test in 2008 requiring large areas of real estate to assess exercises off-road without a significant safety benefit.

As well as introducing measures to prevent fraud in relation to driving licences, the Third EC Driving Licence Directive will add to the complexity for PTW licences. It proposes to set out new rules for mopeds – Category AM and introduce three categories for motorcycles (A1 <125cc/11kW, A2 <35kW, A <35kW) all with their own age categories, driving tests and test vehicles. The BMF responded to a consultation from the DfT on to inform on its negotiations with the Commission and other member states. Our main suggestions were:

No chips on licences containing information due to practical difficulties and possible infringement of civil rights.
Stepped car licensing to be introduced with a Category B (restricted) licence.
Theory test to be passed before applying for a licence.
Full Category B (car) licence with CBT to give AM and A1 entitlement.
AM pass at 16 to give A1 provisional entitlement.
A1 pass to give full A2 entitlement.
Direct Access to A at age 21 - not 24 as proposed.
Category A Direct Access subject to 30 hours on-road training + theory to an agreed syllabus and llog book over a period of 6 to 12 weeks before taking the test.
Consideration of the Third EC Driving Licence Directive by the European Parliament has been put back until September. We need to ensure that the new MEPs will support our proposals or better still, bounce the whole directive. It spent three years in limbo because the EU institutions could not reach an agreement and could be indefinitely delayed if MEPs reject it.

Local Elections (Including London Mayoral Elections)

The main issue is, like the European Parliament Elections one of mainstreaming the PTW in local transport policies. Again the main advantages of the PTW should be promoted viz.: addressing congestion, occupying less road and parking space and addressing social exclusion where there are limited or no transport alternatives.

Local authorities should address the following issues relating to PTW usage:

Provision of adequate parking to meet current and anticipated demand.
High quality highway maintenance since single track vehicles are susceptible to poor road surfaces.
Dealing expeditiously with removing diesel spillages and debris from roads.
Interpretation of the Traffic Management Bill when it becomes law especially in relation to the powers given to local authority staff in enforcing parking and moving traffic offences.
Traffic engineering taking the needs of PTWs users into account.
Access to priority schemes such as bus lanes, high occupancy vehicle lanes and advanced stop lines. There is Government funding to help with properly monitored trials.
Exemption from road pricing if such schemes are envisaged (confirmation of a permanent exemption from the Congestion Charge in London)
Inclusion in travel recommendation schemes such as TravelWise.
Inclusion in travel plans for businesses such as Business TravelWise
Parity with walking, cycling and public transport.
Implementation of Two Wheels to Work schemes
The National Motorcycle Strategy is expected to be launched at the end of the year setting out guidelines for local authorities addressing most of the issues set out. Early in 2005 the Institution of Highways Incorporated Engineers will be producing guidelines for highways engineers to give PTWs proper consideration and to include them in safety audits. Candidates need to be aware of these potential developments and to be prepared to give both documents serious consideration in transport related decisions.

The next tranche of Local Transport Plans for England and Wales is to be launched in July 2005 to replace the previous LTPs which ran from 2000. Scotland has had Local Transport Strategies which also ran from 2000 but assigned a three-year life. They have since appeared to have lost their way but are due for revision – perhaps in 2005. London has just issued London Plan which has minimal references to PTWs in the transport section in spite of our efforts at its Examination in Public. There is also the Mayor’s Transport Strategy which makes some reference and structural plans for the boroughs. It is important that PTWs should play a full part in LTPs and LTSs giving consideration to the issues above. They should also take on board proposals from the National Motorcycle Strategy and the IHIE guidelines. The main way in which PTWs can best be considered is through local forums. Some local authorities have established motorcycle forums which have provided useful input for local transport policy. Participating local authorities include West Midlands, Norfolk, Surrey and Essex. Some forums are safety based while others are more general. They can often lead to local PTW strategies as an adjunct to or incorporation into LTPs and LTSs. This is probably the most important issue with which to remind candidates.

Finally, safety has taken on increasing significance. Local authorities are expected to be seen to be doing something but are not receiving the funding for properly thought out road safety strategies. This has led to the excessive use of red light and speed cameras and ultimately to the formation of (so-called) Safety Camera Partnerships which by being self-funding are also becoming self-serving. We should be calling for less reliance on easy options which can be automated and more emphasis on enforcement associated with standards of road use. If they insist on maintaining these camera partnerships, then an undertaking should be sought to better fund education-based road safety initiatives not necessarily associated with speed reduction. Policy in relation to traffic calming should also be questioned since this should not create an additional hazard to PTWs even if they do slow traffic.

Road safety policy for local authorities should be predominantly aimed at improving standards of riding and driving through education and enforcement. They should be prepared to help fund police initiatives like BikeSafe and Driver/Rider Improvement Schemes to insist on active police patrols for enforcement and advice to errant drivers and riders. Road Safety policy could usefully be developed through the use of motorcycle forums. Candidates with an interest in road safety should be pressed to give such undertakings as part of their policy.

I hope these notes are of some help. One final thought to keep in mind when you quiz candidate’s remember:

Bikers are Voters!

www.betterbiking.co.uk

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