The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC), which was launched on 5th March, has started work straight away.

“The period since the launch on has seen early impact and more political gains than expected,” said spokesman Craig Carey-Clinch. “Government officials themselves initiated early contact, which has had the effect of establishing the NMC as a consultative body.”

The NMC is a joint venture between the BMF, MAG, the TRF, IAM and the ACU, to present a single voice for motorcycling to government.

“Parliament has also offered support to the NMC,” added Craig Carey-Clinch. “MPs and Peers attended the launch and have been very positive since then about the formation of the NMC. The aims and objectives of the Council were presented at a recent meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Motorcycle Group. This was well received and the APMG have agreed to support a number of activities in Parliament on behalf of the NMC.”

Initial meetings have centred on the group’s call for a new Government Motorcycling Strategy, and government officials are said to have reacted positively. The basis for the proposed strategy is laid out in the NMC’s launch document, which outlined its broad policy objectives. These include:

• Motorcycle access to bus lanes
• Access to ULEZ/LEZ areas
• Easing licence barriers for new riders
• Driver education about PTWs
• Protecting the use of older machines, on and off-road
• Being part of the debate on future transport/decarbonisation

Written by Peter Henshaw