Safety is a major talking point in the world of motorbikes and the conversation is bound to get louder with the recent announcement of Sadiq Khan’s new transport strategy ignoring the benefits of powered two-wheeled vehicles. The strategy, Transport for London (TFL), groups motorbikes and scooters in with cars, taxis and construction traffic. By ignoring the benefits of powered two wheelers (PTWs), the strategy has potentially put motorcyclists at risk.

PTWs have been shown to reduce congestion, take up less road space and cause less air pollution in London. Before he was elected, the Mayor said “it is absolutely right for us to enable PTWs to play their part in delivering a less congested road network.”

The Mayor’s decision hasn’t sat well with the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA), as the group believes that congestion can only be improved if the needs of riders are taken into consideration.

CEO of MCIA, Tony Campbell has given his opinion. “The Mayor clearly has his own agenda around motorcycles and scooters, which was not made clear to the riders who elected him following his promise to champion their contribution to reducing London congestion. At a recent meeting with the MCIA, the Mayor said that he agreed PTWS had an important part to play. In doing so he also agreed to review his Transport Strategy, taking into account the feedback he had received during the consultation period.”

Campbell quoted the Mayor as saying “I have read through the industry’s response to my Transport Policy Document and can say I agree with most of what you are saying, not all but most.”

After expressing his disappointment, the CEO suggested Mayor Khan needed to rethink his strategy. “The MCIA strongly urges the Mayor to take another look at his plans to not only fulfil his pre-election commitment to riders and London voters, but also to honour his words at the recent meeting with Industry.”

With PTWs being placed in the same category as other vehicles, there is the potential for more road accidents to occur. It will be interesting to see how Mayor Khan responds to the MCIA and whether he’ll do more to tackle the issue of motorbike safety in London.

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