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“Bikers Are Voters” The Case for a Minister for Motorcycling
A Minister for Motorcycling?
Following on the past success of MAG’s “Bikers Are Voters” campaign, members decided at the Annual Group Conference in April 2004 to call for a Minister for Motorcycling, to raise the profile of motorcycling in political circles and encourage all parties to publish motorcycling policies.
MAG believes that better representation is crucial for the survival of motorcycling and for this reason, MAG has identified the need to appoint a Minister for Motorcycling. The Minister would be our own point of reference and represent the motorcycling community.
The need to elect our own minister to promote motorcycling, to represent riders within legislative government and encourage safe and responsible motorcycling has never been greater than it is today.
All Political parties should be given the opportunity to present a Ministerial candidate and manifesto to allow “Bikers Are Voters” to decide who should be the riders’ representative.
From its beginning in 1973, the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG UK) has represented motorcycle and scooter riders on a wide range of issues affecting all aspects of the motorcycling community.
Representing over 50,000 motorcyclists through individual membership and affiliated motorcycle clubs, MAG is a leading riders rights group in Europe.
The Motorcycle Community
MAG is a member of the Federation of European Motorcyclists Association (FEMA), a pan European body operating out of Brussels and funded by twenty four national groups representing every State in the European Union (EU).
In addition, new riders groups from the new member states have recently joined or have expressed interest.
Both MAG and FEMA are connected to various world wide motorcycle organisations, creating an information pool that provides a global response to motorcycle issues in areas such as Road Safety, Mobility and Consumer issues.
FEMA is involved with Environment and Technical Standards at International level through representations within the United Nations Working Groups. It works proactively by undertaking EU projects that concern motorcycle rider training and rider friendly infrastructures.
In Great Britain, at the end of 2003, the annual turnover for sales, repairs and after-market products of motorcycles, scooters and mopeds, was almost £2 billion .
This excludes peripheral suppliers such as motorcycle insurers whose annual income alone is estimated at over £405 million .
There are over thirty manufacturers selling motorcycles, scooters and mopeds through more than 3,000 franchise outlets, operating from 1,500 motorcycle dealerships, represented by industry and retailer associations.
Data provided by the Motorcycle Industry showed that the registration figures for 2003 totalled 155,693 motorcycles, scooters and mopeds combined.
Overall, there are 1,256,400 of these vehicles in circulation and based on survey data from the Motorcycle Action Group, their value is estimated at more than £4 billion.
The motorcycle industry is vibrant, not only economically but it also offers considerable benefits for the community.
For example, in terms of sustainable benefits, powered two-wheeled transport is cheap and efficient and can make an enormous contribution to the reduction of congestion.
There is scope for utilising two-wheeled transport to provide cheap and reliable solutions to rural communities and to resolve problems of urban transport for those unable to afford the high cost of a car or even public transport.
Furthermore motorcycling includes large-scale commercial activities and recreational usage such as international sporting events, numerous club events, rallies, charitable work etc.
MAG believes that better representation is crucial for the survival of motorcycling and for this reason believes there is need to appoint a Minister for Motorcycling.
Someone who would be our own point of reference and who would represent the motorcycling community. There may be objections. Some may argue that the motorcycle industry is too small – BUT – our answer is that there is precedence in another sector of transport:
The Rt Hon Alun Michael is Minister for Rural Affairs and Local Environmental Quality and is also the ‘Minister For The Horse’.
The horse industry's gross output is worth approximately £3.4 billion, and attracts around 2.4 million riders.
Ministerial responsibilities is for the good of horses; for people who ride, own, or work with horses; and for the sustainable benefits which horses bring to economies and communities.
Issues of Representation
Representatives for the motorcycling community include industry, consumer organisations such as MAG and other rider groups.
At Westminster, politicians in the All Party Group on Motorcycling regularly meet to discuss motorcycling issues.
Furthermore Government bodies like the Government Advisory Group for Motorcycling, the Motorcycle Crime Reduction Group, National Motorcycle Council Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, the London Motorcycle Working Group (Transport for London), ROSPA, BikeSafe as well as other national and local bodies. These bodies all play a significant role in promoting and resolving motorcycling issues in general.
MAG believes that the need to elect our own minister to promote motorcycling, to represent riders within legislative government and encourage safe and responsible motorcycling has never been greater than it is today.
All Political parties should be given the opportunity to present a Ministerial candidate and manifesto to allow “Bikers Are Voters” to decide who should be the riders representative.
The position would not be “official” within Government but riders would be able to decide who their political motorcycling champion would be and as such this would give MAG the opportunity to call for an official Ministerial position within government.
At present the Department for Transport (DfT) draws together the motorcycle community within the Government Advisory Group for Motorcycling (GAGM) for the purpose of publishing a document on motorcycling issues within the UK (FEMA has produced a similar document the “European Agenda for Motorcycle Safety” which is available at www.fema.ridersrights.org ) but the contrasting strands of responsibility across the variety of Government Departments and UK Executives and Assemblies are not fully represented.
A Minister for Motorcycling should be able to draw together the different Government Departments and present before “office” a manifesto and commitment to motorcycling which include:
- Accident Research and Statistics: Commitment to an In-depth UK analysis of motorcycle accidents
- Safety Dialogue: Forming a positive attitudes towards safety – Sharing experienced riders knowledge of riding techniques, traffic strategies and machine maintenance with the novice riders, preventing accidents caused by ignorance with Pan-European educational programmes (booklets, CD Rom, website) providing accurate and precise information on key subjects
- Road Infrastructure: The safety needs of motorcyclists - Wire Rope Barriers - Diesel Spillage - Road Construction - Road Maintenance – Manhole Covers - Road Pricing and Tolls
- Intelligent Transport Systems: ISA – EVSC – motorcycle compatibility with ITS applications
- Rider Training and Testing: Voluntary post-license training – Bikesafe - Training facilities and Instructor competence
- Interactions with other road users: Bikes in Bus Lanes – Advanced Stop Lines - Driver Awareness - Collision-avoidance skills
- Personal Protective Equipment: Conspicuity - Crash Helmets – Protective Clothing
- Motorcycle Design: Leg Protectors – Noise - Daytime Lights - Anti-Tampering – Airbags
- Enforcement: Effects of enforcement – National Rider improvement scheme
- Promotion: - Liaising with Motorcycle Industry – Rider Groups - Liaising with motorcycle sport organisations
Procedure
- MAG will contact all the political parties with an aim to discuss the opportunity of fielding a potential Minister for Motorcycling from each party
- Equally, MAG members will contact their Members of Parliament with the brief
- The parties will then be requested to field a candidate and a motorcycle manifesto
- We launch an Internet voting site: one motorcyclist = one vote
- Paper voting slips would be in Streetbiker and Network, handed out at events and shows and electronically available for the motorcycle press to publish
Internet Site
- A separate web site called ‘Bikers Are Voters’
- Electronic voting forms allowing a voter to register with email address, name and postcode and as mentioned previously, the procedure would be ‘one person = one vote’
- The system would be set up to prevent any irregularities and double voting
- The site could be "reactivated" in future for general elections etc
Europe
MAG would like to extend our campaign into Europe.
In fact every country in the EU should have an official minister for motorcycling allowing for an EU summit of Motorcycle Ministers.
Conclusion
MAG will lead this initiative and it is hoped that the motorcycle press will follow, so in that context, we will bring the motorcycling community with us.
Trevor Baird
General Secretary
Motorcycle Action Group (MAG UK)
general-secretary@mag-uk.org
© Motorcycle Action Group (UK)
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