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Campaign Manager Activities
Membership Membership Membership
Forgive me for starting my article with this mantra but I will keep banging on about it. Now we have relaunched the MAG ‘brand’ at the Farmyard party adverts will start appearing in various motorcycle journals. They are very impactive and tailored to meet the different audiences that buy the range of magazines.
It would be nice to think that the advertisements and the profile of MAG in itself with bring in the membership but it never works like that.
This is where you, the membership, can have a real influence by being proactive in recruiting members. Remember, if we all renew our membership and each just recruits one member we will achieve an increase of 100% by this time next year.
We should all be very encouraged by the positive feedback we received at the Farmyard at the new look MAG. Some people said they were joining MAG on he strength of it. Hoorah! This is one part of the overall marketing strategy that I have been busy project managing as an add on to my ‘day job’
MAG and riders rights at the Centenary TT
In the first two weeks of June I was on my annual pilgrimage to the Mecca of motorcycling that is the TT races, this year made so much more special because of the Centenary celebrations. I was taking part in a conference celebrating the Heritage, culture and place of the TT and I gave a presentation on ‘the spectators perspective’ and the role of MAG within rider’s rights.
The audience was made up of international academics from as far as the USA and New Zealand, representatives from leading manufacturers including Honda and Manx government officials. Apparently I went down well and I have invitations to give presentations in the USA New Zealand at conferences that are being arranged. You can’t beat spreading the word of MAG!
Off Road Registration Bill
I am sworn to silence on this one at the moment as the passage of the Bill is at a very sensitive stage. I have had one to one meetings with various MP’s and shadow ministers, including a meeting with the transport secretary himself.
In the company of Craig from MCIA, Dave Luscombe from to ACU and representatives from the National Farmers Union we were invited to meet the transport secretary in his offices at the DfT. As soon as I can report back on detail I will, but suffice to say that time is rapidly running out for Graham Stringer’s bill. Watch this space.
Companies banning employees from riding bikes in the course of their employment.
I reported in May’s Network of this development and the fact that I was making representations to RoSPA to ensure that motorcycling issues and effective risk management were being properly considered.
I am pleased to report that I have been asked to be a ‘motorcycling champion’ to inform risk management strategies. My first meeting is in mid July so hopefully I can report something positive in the next issue.
Transport Forums
On the evening of 20th June I went to Sheffield Police HQ for a meeting with county road safety officer, police, and representatives from BMF, IAM and motorcycle trainers to inform their motorcycle casualty reduction policies. Our very own Andy Timms and Chrissie Wood from MAG Sheffield attended and will be providing the continuity within the forum. All in all a good meeting and reassuring to find that the chair and road safety officer is a biker himself.
I have been to a number of these county forums now and I am encouraged to find that where bikers get involved we really can influence policy in a positive way. If you want to get involved make a telephone call to your county road safety officer. Their details can be found on your local authority web site. Councils are very keen to be ‘inclusive’ and to ‘consult’ so you should find them receptive. If not, or you simply want some advice on how to deal with them let me know, I am only a phone call away.
Humber Bridge Tolls
Wayne Rooney from East Yorkshire MAG and I had a very positive meeting with Peter Hill the Bridge master on the Humber Bridge. I have reported this in full in the latest edition of the road but suffice to say we persuaded Mr Hill to recommend to the Bridge board to install a toll free lane for the exclusive use of motorcyclists when the tolling system is renewed.
This will take place within the next five years. In the meantime and to ensure this commitment isn’t ‘lost’ in the translation Wayne and I have been invited to be members of the Humber Bridge tolls stakeholder group. This provides us with the opportunity to keep the pressure up. A result and I suspect an opportunity to celebrate when it all comes to fruition!
Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom
As you will have seen from last months Network I sent a letter of complaint on behalf on MAG and the wider motorcycling community to the Independent Police Complaints Authority and others regarding the actions of Brunstrom. I have received a letter of acknowledgement and I am assured the inquiry will be concluded very soon, but not in time for this edition. No doubt the result will be published in MCN for you all to read first hand.
Roads Policing
Despite the police service commitment to Bike Safe and the nationally agreed Motorcycle enforcement policy there are still far too many examples of Forces not adhering to these agreed policies. In particular North Yorkshire has ‘opted out’ of the enforcement policy and seems to be nailing bikers for everything and anything. Fortunately North Yorkshire has just had a change of Chief Constable and I have written a letter seeking a meeting to ‘help inform their policies’. I know the new Chief and I am confident we can make an impact here. Sadly I know where the problem lies, like most things it boils down to personalities and prejudice.
Talking of Prejudice!
Last week Pete Walker, Prince of Yorkshire and Farmyard ‘Grand Master’ put up a sterling performance at the South Derbyshire licensing sub committee which was discussing the proposed Donnington park camping event for the Motogp. Despite a smear campaign promoted by one of the residents the council quite rightly granted the licence in favour of MAG.
Unfortunately the timing of the hearing was too close to the event to run the risk of having to commit finance in case the hearing had not gone our way. I was involved in a live debate on the issue on radio Derbyshire, going head to head with one Bob Wheat who was the main instigator of the smear campaign against the bikers. We can rightly claim a moral victory and the interviewer was sympathetic to our cause and was giving bob Wheat some stick. Well done Pete, I told them we would be back next year!
Parliamentary Transport Select Committee – Governments response
Finally, it is with satisfaction that I report on the outcome of the government’s response to the parliamentary transport select committee’s enquiry into the Governments Motorcycle Strategy. It has been a lengthy process I including preparing a report, written evidence, on behalf of MAG. Attending the hearings and giving evidence. Commenting on the Transport select committees recommendations and, finally, receiving the governments stated position.
The full details are available as a MAG press release which includes the full paper outlining the Governments response. Overall a positive result for motorcycling and which allays a lot of fears regarding remote speed controls for bikes and power limits. Once again demonstrating MAG’s position as being pivotal to informing government policy.
Well that’s it for a couple of weeks. As of tomorrow morning my partner Suzie and I fly out with twenty other Ducatisti to Ancona in Italy to be reunited with our bikes, which we have shipped out ahead of us, for a week of total motorcycling indulgence that is the World Ducati Week, a festival based around the Misano race circuit. If nothing else my objective is to recruit the twenty as new MAG members which will add to the ten I managed to recruit at the Isle of Man TT races a couple of weeks ago.
Bike Safe, Ride Free
David
Campaigns Manager
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