The recent government reshuffle sparked by the sacking of controversial home secretary Suella Braverman, means there’s a new set of Tory ministers settling into the Department for Transport offices in Horseferry Road, Westminster. Guy Opperman, the MP for Hexham, is the new minister for roads and local transport, while South Cambridgeshire MP Anthony Browne, has e-scooters and transport decarbonisation in his brief.
The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) has called on both new ministers responsible for direct motorcycling matters, as well as ministers in the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), to act on the backlog of issues for powered two-wheelers.
These include laws on decarbonisation, licensing reform, changes to Compulsory Basic Training, road safety, and much more. According to the campaigning group, government announcements are long overdue on a range of consultations, which closed in some cases two years ago. There was also no mention of e-scooter legislation in the King’s speech, while vehicle tampering rules and other areas of concern in motorcycle sport have also been left hanging.
NMC executive director Craig Carey-Clinch said, “New ministers have the opportunity to make progress in government business, which has made small progress in some cases but has largely stalled in other very important areas. With an election looming we call on the government to progress several policy issues so that motorcyclists can benefit from a much more positive approach to policy. The ongoing delays are sustaining huge uncertainty right across motorcycling and makes future planning very difficult. Many issues interlink and illustrate the pressing need for a more strategic approach to motorcycling in transport and other policies.”
MCIA HONORARY MEMBERSHIP
The NMC has also announced that it has joined the Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCIA) as an honorary member… with the MCIA reciprocating. NMC executive director Craig Carey-Clinch said: “Sharing memberships marks a new phase to adding weight behind joint working on the key issues that face motorcycling in this important time of political change. Motorcycling’s future faces many challenges and uncertainties in policy terms and joint activities this year have demonstrated where industry and riders can work effectively together on issues that affect us all. Of course, there will remain areas where rider and industry interests will continue to differ, and for very good reasons, but on key issues where views on public policy align, a ‘whole sector’ partnership strengthens the motorcycling lobby and enhances its impact on the government.”
MCIA CEO Tony Campbell, added, “As our industry and riders face many challenges and opportunities both now, and in the future, it will be ever more important to work collaboratively with the rider organisations NMC collectively represents. Now is the time to stand together protecting what we love, whilst also recognising the future will look different with a new generation of riders and users. We look forward to continuing to work with the NMC and the collective rider representative groups under its membership”.