“Another lost opportunity”
The Budget, delivered as BDN went to press, was described as “a mixed bag for motorcycling” by Craig Carey-Clinch, executive director of the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC). He commented: “On one hand, electric motorcycles will be exempt from the proposed ‘eVED’ initiatives scheduled for 2028, which the NMC welcomes. On the other hand, there is no announcement regarding an extension of the current electric motorcycle ‘plug-in grant.’ Far from ‘accelerating’ the uptake of zero-emission motorcycles, the net effect of removing the grant will simply slam the brakes on an already struggling sector.
“Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) on motorcycles is set to increase in line with the Retail Price Index, similar to other types of vehicles. However, given the positive effects of motorcycling on reducing congestion and its contribution to low-pollution urban mobility, the government should seize this opportunity to lower or exempt VED for smaller-capacity motorcycles and freeze rates for larger-capacity bikes.”
Carey-Clinch added: “The Budget reconfirmed investment in fixing potholes, but despite previous announcements, potholes and the overall condition of the roads remain urgent problems. The government needs to require local authorities to demonstrate that additional funding is spent properly and on permanent repairs, not cheap patch fixes.”