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FEMA - Green Paper on Urban Transport
Motorcycling can provide solutions for Europe mobility challenges.
European cities increasingly face problems caused by transport and traffic. Reducing congestion and pollution while at the same time increasing mobility has become a common challenge to all major cities in Europe.
Motorcycling offers major advantages to the transport mix. It is an inexpensive, environmentally friendly and an effective means of transport, especially in congested urban areas:
Motorcycles occupy far less space on the road and do not contribute to traffic congestion. Motorcycling substantially increases vehicle capacity on congested urban roads;
Motorcycles easily double-up in a lane or filter through congested areas. They contribute to alleviate gridlocks on high volume roads;
In congested areas, motorcycles take approximately 16 to 48 % less time to cover the same urban trip as a car;
Average motorcycles consume between 55% and 81% less fuel than cars on the same journey and require fewer resources to manufacture (1/7th)1.
Three or more motorcycles can park in the same space normally used by a car.
Motorcycles cause a fraction of the damage to roads compared to other motorised transport, and thus are responsible for only a tiny percentage of the maintenance costs.
Motorcycles also provide social integration by supplementing private and public transport, ensuring independence and mobility for all.
Therefore, FEMA strongly believes that the European Commission and Members of the European Parliament should make sure that the Green Paper on Urban Transport – GPUT - which will be presented in autumn - fully takes motorcyclists and their needs into accounts.
It would be a mistake if urban transport policies focused only on public transport or non motorized vehicles, neglecting other valuables alternatives to cars such as powered two wheelers.
FEMA believes that the adoption of the Green Paper is an opportunity to integrate PTW’s and recognize their role in urban centres.
Action Briefing Europe - Future
The Green Paper on Urban Transport has now been adopted on 25 September 2007 and opens a debate on the key issues of urban mobility.
During the first consultation phase during January – July 2007 offered an opportunity for FEMA to underline the role and importance of motorcycles in European cities and the necessity to integrate them in modern transport policies.
The document – which presents an overview of the feedback received from the different stakeholders – mentions motorcycles in the text.
The importance of co-modality and the fact that motorcycles and scooters need to be taken into account in the transport-mix is stated.
Nevertheless, the focus still mainly remains on public transport, walking and cycling as alternative modes of transport to cars, and motorcycles are not mentioned with regard to several issues.
This Green Paper marks the start of a new consultation phase and will be discussed by the European institutions.
Citizens and stakeholders are invited to share their views with the Commission until 15th March 2008.
This second phase of consultation is important: it is a new opportunity for FEMA and MAG to underline in a more precise way the importance and advantages of motorcycling, by responding to questions and issues present in the document.
The GPUT and other useful documents are available on the Commission’s website: http://tinyurl.com/2b8kh7
In short we are looking at the documents and formulating a response in conjunction with FEMA.
We will have some letter writing for you to do to your MEPS but in the meantime if you are inclined have a look at the Commissions website, have a trawl through and have any views you have send them to myself.
Trevor Baird
General Secretary (MAG UK)
MAG UK
PO BOX 750
Rugby
CV21 3ZR
Tel: +44 (0)1788 570065
Fax: +44 (0)1788 570052
Email: general-secretary@mag-uk.org
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