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 2016 (Improving Moped and Motorcycle Training). These were announced by the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) in December 2017, with changes put forward which were supported by organisations across the motorcycling sector. But since then, little has been done to implement these widely supported enhancements to CBT.

The NMC, in partnership with the letter signatories, is now urging the Government to prioritise the implementation of these essential changes, These include:

• Introduction of a training course to upgrade motorcycle licence entitlements

• The creation of powers to revoke CBT certificates or take other measures for learner riders who have accrued six penalty points

• Restriction of learners who complete CBT on an automatic transmission machine to riding only automatic machines

• Provision for upgrading entitlement to manual machines for how riders with such a restriction

• Establishment of a combined CBT and DAS instructor qualification assessment

• Limiting the time period that down-trained instructors can give instruction

• Changes to the CBT syllabus, including requiring instructors to ensure trainees are appropriately attired for riding

• Condensing the five elements of CBT to four

• Strengthening the quality assurance scheme for motorcycle instructors

• Introduction of the theory test as part of or prior to CBT

• Digitising the CBT administration process

• Implementation of earned recognition

NMC Executive Director Craig Carey-Clinch said: The changes we call for in our joint letter today were agreed by Government several years ago and their introduction is long overdue. We urge the Secretary of State and the Department for Transport to commence work to implement this positive and potentially life-saving legislation.

Our letter to the Secretary of State marks a moment when the motorcycle sector, public authorities and road safety organisations have come together to achieve positive change for motorcycle safety. We urge the Government to take note and act in partnership with all parties to make these changes to CBT and also to other areas of motorcycle safety, so that a more sustainable and proactive approach can be taken to support casualty reduction for this important mode of mobility, transport and leisure.”

Written by Craig Carey-Clinch

National Motorcyclists Council members are: The Auto Cycle Union, BikeSocial, BikeTrac, the British Motorcyclists Federation, IAM RoadSmart, Mental Health Motorbike, the National Motorcycle Dealers Association, Plantec Assist, the Trail Riders Fellowship and the Vintage Motor Cycle Club

Top image courtesy of cbtwatford.co.uk