The Government has been criticised for failing to include motorcycles in its response to the coronavirus pandemic.
On 9 May, transport secretary Grant Shapps outlined the key role active travel will play in the UK’s transition out of lockdown restrictions – while stressing the importance of avoiding public transport where possible.
He also expressed fears an increase in the number of people driving could lead to towns and cities becoming ‘gridlocked’ and announced trials of e-scooters would be fast-tracked to combat the issue.
However, there was no mention of motorcycles, an omission which has angered one of the leading voices in the motorcycle industry.
The Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) says powered two-wheelers (PTWs) are the ‘perfect alternative’ for those who would usually use public transport – but for whom walking and cycling are not viable options.
The MCIA is calling on riders and those representing the industry to write to their local MPs in order to get PTWs officially endorsed by the Government.
The MCIA says: “PTWs, in the form of low and zero emission scooters and light motorcycles, are a clean and efficient transport mode that require little road space for travel or parking and which can meet the needs of a variety of commuters, while at the same time fulfilling their social distancing and environmental obligations.
“In the current climate they are the perfect alternative for those who would usually use public transport, but for whom walking and cycling are not viable options.
“Access to small PTWs is straightforward, with most requiring just the completion of a one-day training course, called CBT.
“With so much going for them, it could be assumed that they would be heavily promoted by Government, as the country works towards easing lockdown, but unfortunately that is not the case.
“When promoting alternatives for public transport, [Mr Shapps] extolled the road congesting private car and fast-tracked the consultation on un-regulated e-scooters, but ignored PTWs, even though they are already the choice of more than a million road users, legal and regulated.”
Here, here MCIA. What is not said by government is often as revealing as what is said. Some national strategies claim that PTWs are an essential part of the UK transport scene but for most of those policy-writers it appears pretty obvious to be just ‘lip service’ or tokenism.
Pat, Wales
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