The Motorcycle industry is calling on the new Government to urgently address the current problems with motorcycle licensing and to start taking motorcycling seriously in Government policies.

Despite the implementation of a ‘motorcycle strategy’ by the previous Government little has been done to visibly ‘mainstream’ motorcycling in headline transport and business policy. The previous administration did not seize the opportunity to maximise biking’s potential for society.

The 2009 introduction of the new European motorcycle test has been little short of a disaster. The number of tests taken has plummeted due to the severely reduced number of test centres. This coupled with inadequacies in the booking system means that candidates now face much longer journeys to their bike test. Cost, inconvenience and lack of test availability could potentially lead to a culture of ‘permanent learners’ – hardly conducive to creating a culture of motorcycle safety.

The Parliamentary Transport Select Committee was highly critical of the Driving Standard Agency’s (DSA) handling of the new test and MCI is calling for new Ministers to work with industry to sort the situation out.

To compound problems, further changes to the bike test are contemplated for 2013. The DSA’s consultation on this was so poorly drafted that even the Agency’s officials could not understand the ramifications of what they were proposing. The DSA’s attitude to the consultation and their outright rejection of alternative proposals from industry and motorcycle trainers, has led the industry to lodge a complaint with the Parliamentary Ombudsman

MCI is calling on the new Government to get to grips with the DSA’s mismanagement of testing and training policy and to take seriously alternative proposals from the industry and motorcycle trainers.

Steve Kenward, MCI’s CEO said; “Motorcycle trainers know how best to deliver a proper training and testing regime, not bureaucrats in executive agencies who disregard the views of experts. The Secretary of State for Transport urgently needs to get to grips with the motorcycle test and licensing issue in partnership with the motorcycle industry. We call on him to take personal charge of sorting out the mess that the DSA have created and are offering industry support.”

Kenward addded: “Transport policy continues to ignore motorcycling as a mainstream and positive mode of transport, despite all the warm words of previous Ministers. We are calling on new Ministers to properly recognise the opportunities that motorcycling bring to society and ensure that Government departments create and implement the policies that will create positive change.

“Motorcycles are a low Co2 mode of transport, that reduces congestion, can cut costs for the travelling public and can even help getting young people into work by providing suitable transport through ‘Wheels to Work’ schemes. The Industry is worth over £7billion and employs 62,000 people in over 6,000 businesses. This makes it larger than the UK based music and film industry and therefore important to the economy. Industry calls on the new Government to take motorcycling seriously and provide proper policy support.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. The MCI and the ‘Riders Are Voters’ campaign have a comprehensive manifesto which outlines how motorcycling can be incorporated into transport policy and also create a situation that will benefit riders, the industry and motorcycle sport. (www.ridersarevoters.org/manifesto). The manifesto includes the following actions that Government needs to undertake. Highlights include:

• Recognise the benefits of motorcycling in all key transport policy documents
• Allocate at least 1% of the overall road transport budget to motorcycling
• Recognise the motorcycle industry in business support initiatives
• Adopt and promote the industry code of practice for motorcycle sport.
• Support an increase in the number of off -road sporting venues
• Recognise the sustainable transport advantages offered by motorcycles
• Provide guidance to ensure access to bus lanes, free motorcycle parking etc
• Reduce Vehicle Excise Duty to zero for all sub 100g/km motorcycle
• Extend tax breaks and other incentives for 'green vehicles' to motorcycle
• Establish multi departmental support for the ‘Wheels to Work’ initiative
• Recognise the role of motorcycle sport in social inclusion and youth crime,

2. For photographs, please contact Sam Tyson on press@mcia.co.uk

3. For further information, comment, or interviews, please contact Craig Carey-Clinch on 07979 757484 (craig@mcia-pa.com / craig@rowanpublicaffairs.com)