mcia launches strategy document in london

The Route to Tomorrow’s Journeys was the title of the MCIA presentation at the Transport Museum in London’s Covent Garden on the evening of 26 June. The launch of the industry body’s framework, or strategy, document was held in association with the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership [part of the government’s Powering Future Vehicles Strategy].

The invited audience comprised a mix of national and local government representatives, including civil servants from several government departments, members of parliament, transport policy-makers, academics, road safety organisations, transport planners and representatives of industry. All present are concerned with the part that Powered Light Vehicles (PLVs) will play in personal and commercial mobility as well as transport infrastructure and urban air quality in the not too distant future.

MCIA CEO Tony Campbell gave the welcoming address, writes BDN’s Rick Kemp. Jesse Norman MP was originally scheduled to speak in his role as Minister of Transport, but within the last month he moved to another government post. As The Route covers both transport and industry/infrastructure, Andrew Stephenson MP (pictured with Campbell below) was happy to attend in his role as Minister for Business & Industry.

Lilian Greenwood MP, Chair of the Transport Select Committee was also present.

Also on the rostrum was the managing director of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, Andy Eastlake, who put the case for L-categories and PLVs; and Dr Richard Barrett of Liverpool University, who explained the Modal Shift Challenge – the numbers of people shifting or prepared to shift to a different form of transport.

The evening was really for the benefit of interested and associated parties contemplating the implementation of the Department for Transport’s recent publication The Future of Urban Mobility Strategy.

There was a lot of technical stuff to get one’s head round, not least the range of L-category vehicles and their corresponding licence requirements.

Products on display included: Kymco Carry EV, Kymco Like EV, Zero ZT, Yamaha Tricity, Honda Super Cub, Vespa Elettrica, Harley-Davidson Livewire, Quadro eCooder, ESkuta SX1200JE, BMW C Evolution, KTM and Piaggio Resolve projects, and Quadzilla Ecooter.

Having just missed the deadline for our July issue, a full report of the launch will appear in the August issue of BDN.