NMC joins Transport for London, the Motor Cycle Industry Association and a range of public authorities and safety organisations in a partnership to call for long overdue changes to Motorcycle Compulsory Basic Training (CBT). The National Motorcyclists Council has joined forces with Transport for London, the Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCIA) and a range of road safety charities and other transport authorities to call on the Government to make positive changes to improve CBT for motorcyclists. The organisations have signed a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper, to emphasise the critical role these changes can play in enhancing road safety across the UK. Several changes to CBT were agreed by the Department for Transport after a consultation in

National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) holds positive meeting on a range of motorcycling matters with Transport Minister Richard Holden. During a wide ranging meeting on motorcycling policy issues between the National Motorcyclists Council and Transport Minister, Richard Holden MP, Mr Holden revealed that he is open to developing better policies for motorcycling as part of the Department for Transport’s approach to overall transport matters and the future of transport. Acknowledging that there was much he needed to learn about motorcycling, Mr Holden agreed that further work on rider licensing, safety and various areas of regulation is needed and accepted that the practice overlooking or ignoring motorcycling in various policy initiatives deserves reconsideration. The contribution of motorcycling to transport and society was discussed, and

Promises to reconsider parking charges scheme broken by the London Borough Hackney Borough Council in London have broken their promise to commuters, carers and residents who ride motorcycles for work and essential services. It has signalled intent to press on with an exorbitant and regressive motorcycle parking charge which stands to plunge many of those who ride into transport poverty. On March 27th Hackney Council Cabinet will meet to consider a new policy on powered two wheeler (PTW) parking charges which motorcycling organisations, the motorcycle trade and trade unionists have dubbed a “poverty tax”. In October Hackney Council promised they would work with riders to make changes to the charges. They have since set aside this promise, and have made no meaningful changes

EU safety policy deficiencies offers the UK Government an opportunity to go further In a busy week for road safety policy in the EU, the European Commission launched its Road Safety Package. Presented yesterday in Brussels by Commissioner Adina Valean, the Package focuses on changes to the EU driving licence regime. These include digital driving licences, more focus on risk factors and hazard perception, limited changes to licence categories, enforcement and advanced vehicle technologies. Updated testing rules will take account of the transition to zero emission vehicles and teaching novice drivers about how driving styles impact on emissions. Although the Commission state that the proposed rules will; ‘prepare drivers better for … driving on city roads, alongside more bicycles and two-wheelers …’

Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) and National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) deliver key messages to Parliament on decarbonisation Recognising the needs of both industry and users, plus the need to take a technology neutral approach to decarbonisation, were among the key messages delivered to Parliament on Tuesday 7th February 2023 as part of a joint Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) and National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) briefing to MPs, Peers and Government representatives. Read the briefing here -  Motorcycling and the Future of Transport With the Government yet to announce policy after its summer 2022 consultation on decarbonising L-Category vehicles (two, three and light four-wheeled vehicles), the MCIA and NMC took the key messages for the sector to parliamentarians at a well-attended briefing which was followed by

The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) welcomes new Government focus on motorcycling in transport policy. The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) has strongly welcomed the announcement of a new Government strategic group that brings together several strands of policy activity relating to motorcycling. The Motorcycle Strategic Focus Group, which will be managed by DfT and DVSA, will consider a range of issues affecting motorcyclists. For the first time since the Government Advisory Group for Motorcycling was convened in the early 2000s, the new Group will be looking at motorcycling in the context of wider policy. These include areas such as technology and future connectivity advances and how Government embeds motorcycling more effectively in future policies and road safety strategies. It will also consider motorcycling

Extraordinary decision by Hackney Councillors to not review flawed justification for parking charges needs to be reversed. Motorcyclists are campaigning against a decision that will damage the contribution which motorcycling is making to cutting urban traffic congestion and pollution. The National Motorcyclists' Council (NMC) is calling for councillors in the London Borough of Hackney to reconsider their decision of November 23rd to refuse to review the evidence that was put forward to support proposed new parking charges in the Borough. The NMC has lent its support to the existing campaign against parking charges that is being run by Save London Motorcycling (SLM) and the London branch of the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG). NMC member, the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) has

Procedures and options for taking bikes in vans and on trailers across the border made clearer after the NMC and the UK Government work together on developing solutions. The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) has published general advice for riders who wish to take their bikes across the EU border in a van, motorhome, or on a trailer. This advice provides information about procedures and paperwork which should be considered for border crossings. It became necessary to develop the advice after the Council received reports from riders and commercial operators who had experienced problems at the border, with in some cases costly ATA Carnets demanded. On a handful of occasions, riders were even turned back until they could secure a carnet. It

New ministers inherit a long stalled policy agenda for motorcycling, while in the meantime, Brussels ‘ups the ante’ on decarbonisation. The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) welcomes new Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper to his new role. The Council urges him and his new ministerial team at the Department for transport (DfT)to finally break the paralysis that has existed in departmental policy-making since before the summer, so that urgent motorcycling related issues can now be tackled. The NMC highlighted the key issues that need tacking on September 7th, but recent political events have meant that little has occurred since then. Key issues include the future road safety strategy, decarbonisation and revision of the current training and testing regime for those seeking

Inertia over who will be prime minister has led to several policy issues relating to motorcycling either stalling or slowing to a crawl While the Government under new Prime Minister Liz Truss will be rightly prioritising the urgent need to tackle energy prices and the costs of living crisis, the wider business of Government will also need to restart alongside this, after a long summer recess and the hiatus caused by the resignation of Boris Johnson and the subsequent leadership contest. This is why the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) are today calling on the Government to also start making progress on several issues relating to motorcycling. At the Department for Transport, the new Secretary of State Anne Marie-Trevelyan has several challenges. The

The Department for Transport (DfT) consultation proposes to electrify all new mopeds and 125cc bikes by 2030, with larger new petrol powered motorcycles facing a 2035 ban The Department for Transport has this morning (14th July) issued its long-awaited consultation to phase out the sale of new petrol motorcycles by 2035. A new proposal has also been made to bring this timetable forward to 2030 for mopeds and 125cc motorcycles (L1 and L3-a1). Other L-Category vehicles are included in the consultation, which covers all two, three and light four-wheeled vehicles. The consultation does not cover existing motorcycles or those on the second-hand market. The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) says that the Government is making a mistake by trying to force the pace

Major riders groups come together to focus on issues of common concern The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC), the Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations (FEMA) and the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme Europe (FIM Europe) have agreed a new partnership to work together on common issues that affect motorcycling. The partnership extends the cohesiveness of the motorcycle lobby internationally and creates new potential to impact positively on public policy which affects motorcycling in a range of areas. The NMC has worked closely with both FEMA and FIM Europe on a range of issues since it was founded. These relate to motorcycle safety, transport policy and the future of motorcycling. The three organisations recognise that International collaboration is key when it comes to addressing current