News

ULEZ, Access and a Decarb Diet

Craig Carey-Clinch – Executive Director, National Motorcyclists Council (NMC)

What’s the most challenging thing about working in public affairs? The other day, I was discussing this with some friends who toil in this muchmaligned area of life, and the consensus was how easy it is for a carefully-prepared campaigning strategy to be derailed by events. Prime Minister Harold Macmillan was once asked what the greatest challenge for a statesman was: “Events, dear boy, events,” went the quotable reply. But it’s not only PMs who can find their plans being overtaken by more urgent priorities, but also lobbying and campaign groups both large and small, corporate and local community.

Which is why, against a backdrop of evolving current issues affecting motorcycling, I was pleased to see the path opened to the NMC members’ longer-term strategic aims to place motorcycling firmly within wider transport policy. In March, the NMC launched its policy document, ‘Motorcycling and the Future of Transport Policy’, at the Parliamentary Motorcycle Group’s reception in Parliament – this appears to have catalysed work towards our wider aims.

NMC Meets Parliament

Transport Minister Trudy Harrison attended the launch and made it clear that she supported greater consideration of motorcycling in policy, though she did caveat this with a focus on zero emission motorcycling. But importantly, she also wrote to the NMC afterwards suggesting that we open talks with the DfT’s senior team to look at where there are gaps in policy and the Department’s understanding of motorcycling.

“Ooh, yet another meeting with the DfT,” I hear you say. But this session was to be different. Held with a director who sits near the top of the DfT pecking order and also attended by Anna Zee of the BMF, the discussion was very different to the usual positive, but somewhat limited conversations we have with officials in DfT’s Road Safety Division – the governmental silo in which motorcycling has been stuck for so many years. A cross-cutting look was taken of where the DfT needs to get up to speed on motorcycling and what needs to be done to do this. The meeting ended with agreement to broaden the Department’s divisional

links with motorcycling.

This may not, on the face of it, seem to be ground breaking stuff, but it is very significant that the DfT is now prepared to look at motorcycling as more than just a road safety issue. A lot of work is needed to bring what was discussed to life, but it is very possible that this change in emphasis could lead to the major longer-term benefits to motorcycling that NMC members agreed should be the core mission of the Council.

Vnuk Judgement will not apply

Meanwhile, the ‘events’ that PM Macmillan referred to continue to arrive, and some have positive outcomes. The ‘Vnuk’ insurance issue was finally laid to rest by a government-supported Private Members Bill. Intended to protect against injuries from agricultural vehicles, the original ruling appeared to impose compulsory third party insurance on all off-road use of any vehicle, which placed a huge question mark over the future of motorsports, whose costs would have been increased hugely had the ruling been universally applied. Interestingly, the EU has made a similar change, so the threat against motorcycle sport of individual compulsory thirdparty insurance has finally been set aside across Europe as a whole.

The lobby on the issue was long and complicated, but it brought together riders, the sport, Government and the industry. The BMF also played a significant part through developing the European riders’ position at FEMA, which in turn, alongside other work, brought the European Parliament onside.

Some NMC members have a concern that UK actions to protect the sport remove the more positive aspects of Vnuk. In this sense, the EU solution is more attractive and the NMC will speak to the Government here about how insurance law should evolve in the longer term.

Anti-Tampering

Anti-tampering remains a major and ongoing ‘new’ concern. But in this area, the NMC and its members’ lobbying is starting to have an effect. An online petition by a concerned individual generated enough signatures for the matter to be debated in Parliament.

Members of the Parliamentary Motorcycle Group spoke strongly in the debate, with Minister Harrison providing the response. In acknowledging the campaigning done by two- and four-wheeled groups, Harrison sought to allay fears that customisation and owner modification would be affected. She confirmed that any new regulations will not be retrospective, which is great news for classic and older bike owners. However, until the proposed regulations are published and consulted upon, we will not be sure how much of a threat anti-tampering regulations will be for future new motorcycle owners.

Decarb Diet

The decarbonisation agenda continues to gain pace. The NMC has now published its position on motorcycle decarbonisation which can be found on the NMC website (www.uknmc.org). This was developed in close consultation with the BMF and other NMC members. In it, the Council calls for no bans on the actual use of existing petrol motorcycles, for a technology neutral position to be taken which allows the development of clean fuels (meaning no need to ban petrol bike production per se) and protections for older and classic motorcycles, including security of fuel supply. Finally, the NMC urges for timetables to align with international agreements, rather than a UK only ‘forced’ phase-out of new petrol-powered products.

The NMC has also closely followed the industry’s work in this area. The MCIA have published a decarbonisation action plan, which they have developed in partnership with Zemo and the DfT. They have also established a cross-sector focus group on decarbonisation which the NMC, the BMF and other NMC members are taking part in.

Decarbonisation also links to the vexed issue of micromobility and e-scooters, with the Government announcing that they will be regulating to legalise e-scooters. This has become a highly controversial area and the NMC is calling for the Government to set up a specific task force of all groups with an interest in this area, to develop new regulations which actually work, with regard to product technical requirements and user regulations.

Land Access

Finally, the NMC partnered with the Land Access and Recreational Association (LARA) to develop a response to DEFRA’s (Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) ‘Landscapes Review’. This initial call for views sought opinion on the much wider use of traffic regulation orders against motorised use of green roads in national parks and on all other green roads. The partnership launched a successful campaign to get two- and four-wheeled users to respond to the consultation. We also briefed all MPs on the issue and are seeking a meeting with the minister involved, Lord Benyon. The consultation has now closed, but contact with DEFRA officials continues.

So, all in all, a broad range of issues, any of which could easily divert the NMC from its core aims. But despite these, the NMC has been able to make steady progress on its objective to create a positive government approach to motorcycling. Despite the high profile of some issues at the moment, this probably makes that innocuous meeting with the DfT the most important event of the last few months if we take a long view. MacMillan would be jealous.

LOBBY NEWS ROUND UP

FROM AnnA ZEE, BMF’S POLiTicAL And TEcHnicAL SERvicES diREcTOR

We submitted a response to the landscapes Review consultation. Very useful input came from the TRF and LARA. Our response was confined to the questions on motorised access to National Parks etc and responses were of course submitted by the NMC, the TRF and LARA as well. I also note that the Sports and Recreation Alliance submitted a response which matched ours with respect to motorised access. I was able to attend a pre-consultation meeting on the further expansion of london's UleZ (Ultra-Low Emission Zone). More than one participant pointed out that a lot of what applies in London inside the North and South Circular Roads does not necessarily apply outside that boundary. The consultation on the expansion is out now. They say that expansion of the ULEZ is not a foregone conclusion, but can we believe that? London members who live in the proposed expansion zone should take a look, as should anyone who rides into the zone from further out. A new website liveFastdieOld.scot has some good videos shot on very scenic Scottish roads, with road safety messages, but in a form new to me which I think is quite effective. Another useful new website comes from the MCIA – eliteriderhub.co.uk has lots of information about post-test training courses and yes, the BMF Blue Riband course is included.

The BMF participates regularly in meetings of the Transport Focus Road User Panel. This is primarily concerned with National Highways and the motorway and major A roads network. If anyone has any particular issue they would like to raise (service areas included) please get in touch with myself or Emily – anna.zee@bmf.co.uk or emily.rochester@bmf.co.uk

A meeting of the Motorcycle Crime Reduction Group was held in May. Thefts (of anything, not just bikes) have been down in the last couple of years, partly because of the pandemic and possibly a bit due to Brexit. But now the rate is rising again, so don't forget to lock your bike up!

The fashionable thing in road safety currently is the Safe Systems approach. I attended webinars recently which were supposed to be about applying this to road design, but I still don't know what ‘good’ looks like. More worryingly, I have yet to be convinced that everyone knows what they’re talking about…

BMF at FEMA Committee Meeting – 11th June

The FEMA Committee meeting, confusingly referred to as the ‘Spring’ meeting, took place at the Motor Cycle Touring Club (MCTC) campsite in Kolind, Denmark, on 11th June. Fourteen delegates attended – 10 in person and four online – from 12 organisations, with proxies held for a further four organisations and a number of guests. The BMF were privileged to hold the proxy for Norsk Motorcykkel Union (NMCU). The meeting was chaired by Anna Zee, FEMA President and BMF Political and Technical Services (PTS) Director. The BMF delegate (online) was Jim Freeman, FEMA Treasurer and BMF Chair.

Following the Treasurer’s report that all was well financially, particularly after a two-year pandemic was taken into account, the meeting settled into a varied and lively agenda:

• A presentation by Jesper Christenson from Sveriges MotorCyklister [SMC] about their e-Motorcycle awareness campaign. • ‘Climate, motorcycles and policy’, a presentation by MAG UK’s Ian Churchlow, assisted by Lembit Opik, about internal combustion engines (ICe), CO2 and fuel alternatives, followed by a lively discussion, with an indicative vote taken, to take the temperature of the meeting, with the promise of future discussion. • Future FeMA Meetings, a discussion about the future of FeMA meetings, deciding how to organise them – physical, online, or hybrid. The meeting decided that staying flexible and taking decisions on an ad hoc basis, depending on circumstances, was probably the best approach. • FeMA General Secretary, Dolf willigers, presented the FeMA Annual Report, taking questions from the Committee. Dolf was congratulated on an excellent report. • ‘Surviving without a motorcycle licence.’ SMC’s Maria Nordvist presented new data about how little time people without a motorcycle licence will live after buying a motorcycle. • Memorandum of understanding between FeMA, FIM europe and the NMC. After an introduction by Dolf willigers, the document was approved by the Committee, and signed by Dolf, Jesper Christenson for FIM europe, and Craig Carey-Clinch for the NMC. The memorandum extended the pre-existing working group arrangements between FeMA and FIM e to include the NMC, for the development of joint policies across a europe-wide platform. • Secretariat reports from Dolf williger as General Secretary and wim Taal as Communications Officer. • Parking Survey’, a presentation by wim Taal, showing the results of the online survey on motorcycle parking. • ‘women in Motorcycling’, a presentation by Raimonda Grigate-Kjeldsen, addressing the issues concerning women riders in 2022. • Following the usual discussion of the dates and venues of future FeMA meetings, with a number of minor items under Any other Business, the Meeting was closed by the President at 16.45 CeT.