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

Net zero motorcycling should be about much more than just battery electric motorcycles and arbitrary UK-only targets The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) has today published its position on motorcycle decarbonisation and its policy on the potential end of internal combustion engine (ICE) production for motorcycles. The position was reached after extensive consultation among motorcycling and other organisations both in the UK and internationally. A target of 2035 has been mooted as the phase out date for all ICE powered motorcycles, with a government consultation on motorcycle decarbonisation due shortly. The NMC opposes an arbitrary target date, given that it is not yet known whether a global manufacturing base can meet a UK-only target with a range of motorcycle types which will have

NMC Calls for Government to Establish a new e-Scooter Task Force to Develop e-Scooter Regulation Urgent need for e-Scooter Task Force to get new regulations right The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) has joined wider calls for proper regulation of the informal eScooter sector and is calling for the Government to establish an e-scooter task force which would be tasked with shaping regulation and considering the wider issues surrounding the role of e-scooters. The number of eScooters (also known as Powered Transporters) has risen exponentially since they first appeared the UK a few years ago. The Bicycle Association recently estimated that there are around 800,000 in use today. At a recent seminar organised by the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) it was

Compulsory third party motor insurance will now not be extended to motor and motorcycle sports away from the public highway, but National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) calls for a wider review of motor insurance A parliamentary Private Members Bill which sought to stop the implementation in the UK of the so-called ‘Vnuk’ judgement has passed through Parliament and will soon become law. The judgement by the European Court of Justice in 2014 was made after a Mr Damijan Vnuk was injured in an accident involving a trailer on private agricultural property in Slovenia. It sought to extend compulsory third party motor insurance to all ‘mechanically propelled vehicles used on land’. Although the judgement set out to correct a problem in overall insurance law,

Minister says that measures will be limited to environmental aspects and autonomous driver software systems on new and future vehicles, with heritage and sports vehicles, plus customisation protected. Parliament has debated a petition (25th April 2022), which opposes potential new regulations against so called vehicle ‘anti tampering. The petition; ‘Do not implement proposed new offences for vehicle "tampering"’ was tabled by Gareth James and attracted more than 115,000 signatures making it eligible for a parliamentary debate. The original proposals were revealed in a consultation on 'The Future of Transport Regulatory Review – Modernising Vehicle Standards' during 2021. This consultation proved to be highly controversial, generating wide attention in the motorcycle world and the media, given how the wording in the consultation was interpreted

The Motor Cycle Industry Association and the National Motorcyclists Council have today agreed to work together as the joint action plan for government and industry on zero emission motorcycles and other L-Category machines develops. The NMC and its individual members will work with the MCIA as part of the ‘UK Motorcycling’ forum which has been set up by the MCIA as part of the industry’s commitment to create a formal L-Category community to engage government in relation to the action plan; ‘The Route to Net Zero’. NMC Executive Director Craig Carey-Clinch said: “The NMC’s members are delighted to be working with the MCIA as the Action Plan develops. Decarbonisation is the fundamental issue of our times and with the wide range

The National Motorcyclists Council welcomes the Vintage Motor Cycle Club (VMCC) to the NMC’s growing partnership of motorcyclists and trade representative organisations. Backed by 13,500 members, the VMCC is the world’s largest Vintage & Classic motorcycle Clubs, with 81 regional sections and five specialist sections around the UK, organising over 1,200 events per year. With significant technical and regulatory expertise, the VMCC is at the forefront of the heritage motorcycle sector, drawing its membership from a wide range of riders of classic and heritage machines, ranging from the earliest days of motorcycling through to machines from more recent times. Classic motorcycling is an important part of the UK’s £18 billion historic sector, with nearly 675,000 motorcycles being part of this –

Motorcycling and the Future of Transport Policy Presented to Transport Minister Trudy Harrison MP At a major event of the Parliamentary Motorcycle Group yesterday, the National Motorcyclists Council presented its programme for policies to support motorcycling in UK transport policy to MPs and the Government. Under Secretary of State for Transport, Trudy Harrison MP delivered a speech to welcome the NMC’s Motorcycling and the Future of Transport Policy. The chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Motorcycling, Sir Bill Wiggin MP, also spoke in support of the comprehensive approach set out by the NMC. At the well-attended reception, British Super Bikes and TT legend Steve Plater added a new dimension to a parliamentary event by delivering a well-received speech about UK

The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) has today launched a major new contribution to the discussion about motorcycling’s developing role in society and transport. The new policy paper ‘Motorcycling and the Future of Transport Policy’ sets out in a concise format the policies that will work to the nation’s benefit if adopted by the Government. Policy areas addressed include mobility, the environment, safety and accessibility. The vital contribution that motorcycling makes to the UK’s culture, leisure, economy, heritage and sport is also recognised. This new paper builds upon the NMC’s core policies, as developed by its membership and first presented when the NMC was launched. Since then, the NMC has worked with a range of stakeholders to refine its position in key policy