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Network Report - David Short Campaigns Manager
Road Safe Magazine Article
Another hectic and fascinating month goes by, where does the time go? The month opened with a meeting at central office with one of the editors of a magazine called ‘Road Safe’, one Mark Robinson.
Road Safe is, as the title suggests, primarily a road safety magazine covering all aspects of transport. Mark wanted to include an article with a motorcycle focus. He had seen articles about MAG and made the contact.
It was a brilliant meeting between Mark, myself, Trevor Baird and Sheila McMahon, (Yorkshire rep).
To say he was impressed by our activities would be an understatement.
By the time he had finished the interview his notebook was full, he had signed up as a MAG member and has given the undertaking that MAG can supply a regular column to the magazine. MAG good news spreads further!
NC Meeting
That weekend the board and NC meetings took place and the ‘MAG plan’ first draft and 2007 Campaigns schedule was accepted. The MAG plan is now out for consultation with you the members. All feed back gratefully received. I have a tight schedule to consider all the feedback for what will be the final draft so please keep them coming. This will ensure MAG’s continued success, giving the board and NC a clear focus and direction to further the cause of rider’s rights.
The Campaigns schedule is attached to the end of this report in bold. There will of course be issues that crop up out of the blue that need attention and these will be dealt with appropriately.
EMAP – Bike magazine article March edition
On the 6th February I went to EMAP HQ, (again!). This time it was do some ‘imaginative photography’ for March’s edition of ‘Bike’ magazine which will feature an article on this strange individual that has joined MAG as the Campaigns Manager.
I have seen the finished article and I am well pleased with it. It puts MAG firmly on the map in ’Bike’, the biggest UK motorcycle magazine, (not as good as the Road), with a circulation of 90,000 per month.
As you would expect the article is slightly tongue in cheek in parts and the 1 hour interview is condensed down to some key questions on one page. Read it in that light but think big picture, no not of me, but of the potential profile and exposure this will give to MAG.
Transport Select Committee Hearing
On the 7th February Mr President and I went to the second round of the Transport Select Committee hearing into the delivery of the Governments Motorcycle Strategy. This time the witness were ACPO, Sustrans, RoSPA and a chap called Steven Plowden, representing himself. The ACPO response was delivered by DCC David Griffin from Humberside police, a biker himself, friend and all round good guy. His response matched the response MAG had given. RoSPA were very measured and supportive of motorcycling.
We were then treated to one of the most blatant examples of prejudice against motorcycling by the Sustrans representative and Mr Plowden. So much so that the RoSPA representative made it clear that he wanted to distance himself from the blatantly biased stance being taken by Plowden and Sustrans.
It highlights the constant battle we have to overcome these blinkered anti motorcycling views and the need to be in the centre of debate to balance the views of this rabid road user group. A full transcript is available and I have attached a copy for information.
PACTS Annual Conference
On the 13th February I went to the Parliamentary Advisory Council on Transport Safety, (PACTS), annual conference in London, titled, ‘Planning for safer streets’.
There were over 100 delegates from a wide range of interest groups. MAG was the only motorcycle interest group there!
Numerous presentations were given from highways engineers and ‘experts’ in the field of casualty reduction. There was only one slight problem. None of the speakers mentioned motorcycles as part of their transport plans! After each of the speakers had finished their presentations the audience was given the opportunity to comment by way of a radio microphone.
My hand was first up on every occasion, pointing out the motorcycling omissions, throwing in such trump cards as the Governments Motorcycling Strategy, the Mintel market research report which shows that overall, motorcycle casualties are actually falling, etc etc. Speaker after speaker apologised for the oversights in their presentations and promised to amend them for the future to include motorcycles.
After the third such reminder to the speakers I decided to go one further and whilst presiding with absolute power with the radio microphone I gave my own impromptu presentation on MAG, our role and made the offer to engage with planners and engineers in urban street design. Robert Gifford, the chair and chief executive of PACTS, gave his thanks and constantly reminded the speakers from then on to consider motorcycling!
One of the attendees was non other than Peter Bottomley MP, known for his dislike for motorcycling. He left the conference before I was able to engage with him. On seeing him leave I decided to pursue. I caught up with him in the street, donning his reflective jacket and cycle helmet before mounting his cycle. Blocking his path I introduced myself and had a brief amiable discussion with him, shaking hands and pressing my business card into his hand before I let him go. Could be a useful contact!
Back in the conference people wanted to introduce themselves and one of them, Adrian Walsh, was the Director of the Road Safe magazine mentioned above He is also one of the directors of the Prince Michael of Kent Road Safety Awards Scheme. Adrian, along with the Prince himself, presented me with an award for the Bike Safe scheme some years ago. Small world, excellent networking opportunity!
MAG’s name was heard loud and clear at the conference.
MAG Activist Training Weekend
On the 16th and 17th Feb I went to the activist training weekend at Lyneham Farm. What a fantastic weekend and many thanks to everyone that was involved in the planning, cooking and general organisation of the event.
One of the sessions involved the planning and preparation for a meeting with councillors and politicians. It was run as a workshop and based on a real issue, the waiving of tolls for bikers on the Humber Bridge.
The groups worked really well on this and the individuals who were elected to represent the groups put on creditable performances in the face of stiff opposition from the panel of Mutch, Baird and Short!
Well done everyone you should be proud of yourselves. With this sort of preparation, commitment and strength of argument I am confident of MAG campaigning and lobbying success!
Motorcycle off road Registration Legislation – Private Members Bill
Interestingly the above is a private members bill being put forward by Graham Stringer MP.
As always there is a not so hidden agenda with these mad cap ideas. Mr Stringer MP is one of the members of the Transport Select Committee who was hearing evidence from me and others on the delivery of the Governments Motorcycle Strategy.
Interestingly much of the questioning was focussed on the issue of nuisance and mini motos.
The questioning was around whether a registration scheme for mini motos, which would of course impact on every off road machine including racing bikes, would help reduce anti social behaviour associated with irresponsible mini moto use.
Everyone giving evidence, including ACPO stated that it would not and that existing legislation was more than adequate to deal with irresponsible and illegal riding.
Despite hearing first hand from practitioners that such a scheme would not work and that it would unfairly penalise legitimate responsible riders Mr Stringer is still pursuing this bill. Those of you that take MCN will see that they majored on it in last week’s edition, depicting a picture of Rossi on his motogp bike with a registration plate on the rear! The next hearing of the bill is on 2nd March.
As a result I have been doing some intensive lobbying behind the scenes. Consensus is that this bill is going nowhere. It is a tactic politicians use to get their concerns aired in parliament.
Nevertheless it is worrying that an MP who sits on the transport select committee, who heard first hand evidence that such a scheme would be impracticable and have no effect on the problem it is intended to address is still pursuing this legislation.
This is where you, the membership, can come in. Make an appointment with your local MP at his/her surgery and point out that Graham Stringers private members bill would;
- Have no effect on anti social riding of mini motos.
- Not help the police. They currently have sufficient powers to deal with this issue through local crime and disorder partnership working.
- Prejudice those people who ride off road legally and responsibly.
- Create a bureaucratic nightmare. Look at the DVLA losing motorcycle riding entitlements as an example of how bad things can get!
- Impose a nationwide scheme for what is a highly localised problem.
- Ignore the evidence of practitioners, including the police who do not support such a scheme.
Loads of good stuff going on. Onwards and upwards, Great days ahead for MAG!
Regards David Campaigns Manager
Campaigns – Regional & Local – 2007
MAG representation on Local Transport Plan consultation process
Influence; use of bus lanes, poor road surfaces, signs, road side furniture.
Engage with MP’s, MEP’s, ( local surgeries etc ).
Establish links with local media.
Make contact with local police encourage regular meetings and possible establishment of ‘motorcycle forums’ ,
Ad hoc membership of Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnerships.
Issues to be addressed through training and proactive support from Campaigns Manager.
Membership – Recruitment/ retention
Marketing Strategy
Positive publicity – Specialist press, national,local media
Poster campaigns – targeting dealerships, bike meets
Introduce incentive schemes for existing members to recruit
Time scales - Continuing
Carbon emissions policies likely to impact on motorcycling
European Road Casualty reduction targets likely to prejudice motorcyclists
European wide type approval impacting on UK motorcycles
Green/white papers on transport safety projects
DRL
Continue involvement in progressing Govts’ Motorcycling Strategy via NMC
EVSC & ISA
Road Charging
Highways Agency – steel rope barriers, road surfaces, signs, and road side furniture.
Kills spills – Donnington Park – 26th May , including; Dedicated area for MAG and
Police escorted ride of over 600 bikes to 10 Downing Street.
Roads Policing – Network with ACPO, engage with Police Senior Traffic Officers Conferences, ( STOC’s), articles in Police Review and The Superintendent magazine.
Brum Demo 6/7/8 July – Celebration of motorcycling, campaign theme – road charging.
3DLD Lobbying UK Government – damage limitation.
DfT, DSA, - Better awareness training, ‘Think bike’
MAG representation on Local Transport Plan consultation process. Influence; use of bus lanes, poor road surfaces, signs, road side furniture .
Engage with MP’s, MEP’s, ( local surgeries etc ).
Establish links with local media.
Make contact with local police encourage regular meetings and possible establishment of ‘motorcycle forums’ ,
Ad hoc membership of Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnerships.
Issues to be addressed through training and proactive support from Campaigns Manager.
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