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DIESEL ON DOWNING STREET DOORSTEP Despite forecasts of heavy rain, an estimated 2,500 motorcyclists made their presence felt when they brought London’s traffic to a halt, filling the streets with bikes as they took part in a protest ride to Westminster on Saturday as part of the second KillSpills Rally against diesel spills. Stopping off at Whitehall, organisers handed in a seven page diesel spills report* to 10 Downing Street, along with a giant 1st anniversary card for Prime Minister Tony Blair, signed by the rally participants as a reminder that little had been actioned following the 2004 event. Designed to raise the profile of the menace that spilt diesel presents to the UK’s 1.2 million motorcycle and scooter riders, the KillSpills Rally attracted over three times the number of participants attending last year. Assembling at the Ace Cafe London, the riders, escorted by Metropolitan Police motorcyclists and a team of forty KillSpills marshals, followed a seven mile route taking in the famous London landmarks of Park Lane, Buckingham Palace, The Mall, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Parliament Square and finishing with the bikes parking up along Millbank alongside the Palace of Westminster Taking part in the convoy was a truck unit from supermarket giant Asda, the winners of the KillSpills/BMF Diesel Spills Reduction Award 2005 for being the most proactive in the fight against diesel spillage on the UK’s roads, extensively briefing their drivers on the danger that diesel spillages present to motorcyclists. Sponsored by Bennetts Insurance, the engraved crystal award was presented to one of Asda’s drivers, Neil Gargan, himself a biker, who also took part in the ride. At the House of Commons, riders were greeted by Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Minister, Tom Brake, who despite the frequent showers, listened to the team’s concerns and promised to meet with them in the next few weeks. He also promised to table an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons on the dangers of diesel spills. Commenting on the day, Stephen Edwards, team leader of the KillSpills organisation said: “This has been a truly amazing day. The numbers attending have proved what we know, but the authorities seem to ignore - that this is a major issue for bikers. We’ve had a lot of support from MPs but passers by and tourists took note too. That’s the name of the game, to raise public awareness and get some action taken.” For the British Motorcyclists Federation, BMF Chairman Dr Leon Mannings said: “The BMF is not known for direct action, but we’ve raised the issue of spilt diesel so many times with government that it makes sense to ‘ride’ that message home by supporting the KillSpills Rally. Diesel spillage is a real concern and an important safety issue with bikers. I think this time the powers that be will get that message”. Recommendations from the report delivered to Number 10 include: 2. Amending the Highway Code to highlight the dangers and publicise the penalties of spilling diesel on the public highway 3. Using the THINK! Campaign to get the diesel spill message across to the public and transport operators, “Think! DIEsel Spills KILL” 4. Continuing to lobby within Europe for a European-wide resolution of this issue so as to ensure that future generations of commercial vehicles have anti-spill devices fitted as standard 5. Encouraging Government Departments and Local Authorities to lead by example, ensuring that their drivers are fully briefed about the dangers of overfilling a diesel tank and or not refitting the filler cap correctly 6. Advising the general public to use 999 to report diesel spills 7. Issuing guidelines to the emergency services relating to the treatment of diesel. The 140,000 strong British Motorcyclist Federation has long campaigned on the issue of spilt diesel but has backed the KillSpills Rally as a way of bringing the issue to a wider audience. According to Department for Transport figures, every year some 300 motorcycle accidents are attributed to diesel spillage, but it is well known that if another vehicle is not involved and injuries are slight, an accident goes unreported.
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