Terms of reference and call for evidence

In January 2009 the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) announced that the motorcycle test would be split into two parts: Module 1 contains the specified manoeuvres element of the test including exercises designed to assess the rider’s ability to control their machine safely, including avoidance and emergency stop exercises; and Module 2 includes an eyesight test and at least 30 minutes of on-road riding, assessing the rider’s ability to safely interact with other road users. This took effect in April 2009. The decision to split the test in two is the result of changes to the practical driving test for motorcyclists introduced this year as a consequence of the European Second Driving Licence Directive – though the decision to deliver the new test in two parts and via multi-purpose test centres was taken by the Government, following two rounds of consultation.

Concerns have been expressed that there are too few test centres and that some test candidates are now required to travel long distances to reach their nearest test centre. Concerns have also been raised about the safety of riders taking the off-road test, particularly the ‘swerve and stop’ test.

The Transport Committee will hold an inquiry into current motorcycle testing arrangements. In particular:

1. Has the DSA interpreted the EU Second Driving Licence Directive correctly and applied it appropriately?
2. Are the off-road motorcycle tests safe and appropriate?
3. Is the number of motorcycle test centres adequate and are the locations satisfactory?
4. What is the impact of the recent changes in motorcyclist testing?

Interested parties are invited to submit evidence by Tuesday 22 September 2009.

Guidance on submitting written evidence

It assists the Committee if those submitting written evidence adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Submissions should be as short as is consistent with conveying the relevant information. As a rough guide, it is usually helpful if they can be confined to six pages or less. Paragraphs should be numbered for ease of reference. A single-page summary of the main points is sometimes helpful.
   The submission should be in a form suitable for monochrome photocopying.
2. Evidence should be submitted in Word or Rich Text format, by e-mail to transev@parliament.uk. The body of the e-mail should include a contact name, telephone number and postal address. It should be absolutely clear who the submission is from, particularly whether it is on behalf of an organisation or in the name of an individual.
3. Once accepted by the Committee, written evidence becomes the Committee’s property and it may decide to publish it or make other public use of it. You should not publish evidence submitted to the Committee. If you wish your submission, or any part of it, to be treated as confidential, then please indicate this clearly when you submit it.
4. Though the Committee is happy to receive copies of published material, formal submissions of evidence should be original work and not published elsewhere.
5. Committee staff are happy to give further advice on any aspect of the Committee’s work by phone or e-mail.

More detailed guidance on giving evidence to a select committee is available on-line at: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/witnessguide.pdf

FURTHER INFORMATION:

1. Committee Membership is as follows: Mrs Louise Ellman (Chairman)
   (Liverpool, Riverside), Mr David Clelland (Tyne Bridge), Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering), Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington), Mr Eric Martlew (Carlisle), Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin), Ms Angela C Smith (Sheffield, Hillsborough), Sir Peter Soulsby (Leicester South), Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley), Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne), Sammy Wilson (East Antrim).
2. Transcripts of evidence sessions for the Committee’s inquiries can be found on the Committee website at: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmtran.htm

Committee Website: http://www.parliament.uk/transcom/

Watch committees and parliamentary debates online: http://www.parliamentlive.tv

Publications / Reports / Reference Material: Copies of all select committee reports are available from the Parliamentary Bookshop (12 Bridge St, Westminster, 020 7219 3890) or the Stationery Office (0845 7023474). Committee reports, press releases, evidence transcripts, Bills, research papers, a directory of MPs, plus Hansard (from 8am daily) and much more, can be found on http://www.parliament.uk

It’s not often enough that I get as involved in Pro Motorcycle activism, at least not as often as I once did, but every now and then something strikes a chord.

Now a gentleman called Michael White has lodged a petition with the government to lobby that Motorcycles being greener overall should be subjected to the same sort of road tax rises that other road users are, more importantly are not exempt from road tax like small cars are?  From the petition:

Changes to the law mean cars emitting less than 100g of CO2 per kilometre travelled would be exempt from paying Vehicle Excise Duty (road tax), while motorcycles are still required to pay.

This was outlined by your Chancellor Alistair Darling in his first budget last week, under the auspices of rewarding motorists for driving ‘green’ vehicles.

Despite Darling’s aim, the rate of road tax paid by motorcyclists is set to double in 2009, with the annual charge for a typical 125cc commuter bike set to grow from £15 per year at present, to £33 in 2009.

This makes a nonsense of the revised rates of vehicle excise duty, as motorcycles tend to emit less CO2 and use less fuel than cars, with the average CO2 output from motorcycles at 110g/km.

So why do those who ride greener two wheeled vehicles, use less road space and do not contribute to congestion get penalised whilst 4 wheel motorist whose vehicles use under 100g/km are exempt from road tax

Here’s a link to the petition, if you want to do a little something more to help motorcycles get the profile they deserve in the UK, go ahead and sign up.

The sun is out…. they sky is blue… there’s not a cloud to spoil the view…. ahhhh … today is warmish, almost sunny (at least in my neck of the woods), perfect day for going out to buy a new visor, and new back protector (thanks to the guys at my local Hein Gerick). The bike was serviced last week, and cleaned. Just one thing left to do, time to go and murder some of the first aphids of 2007. But I digress.

I’m riding through the town center, (a small dual carriageway) with a pedestrian crossing. I’m on the inside lane, traffic on the outside lane is stalled due to a nearby roundabout, lights are green, but I’m proceeding cautiously at about 25 mph knowing that peds are an unpredictable bunch. So one of them assumes that the lights have turned red, and steps off the pavement about 100 feet in front of me, within about 2 seconds the road looks like a bloody pitch invasion, no one looks, everyone assumes that the lights are red, seems bizarre that people are happy to step off the pavement into a busy road without even checking that they’re safe (must be Volvo drivers ), so I look up to check the lights, and they’re still green as grass, I slow down but continue to proceed thinking that they’ll see me coming, since they’re all looking my way and move. Nope!! Not a bit of it, in fact as I approach the crossing (still a green arrow for me!!) I start to catch abuse from those stepping off the pavement just a few feet in front of me.
Now I understand that peds these days feel that they have the right to go anywhere and do anything without the fear of traffic (strange I thought it was meant to be the bikers who thought they could do whatever they want). But with all of the other crap going on to try and rid the world of road traffic, it would appear that road users no longer have rights to the road if the peds decide that they want to cross and screw anyone else that wants to use the road legitimately.

I know, I’ve been riding bikes for 20 years (5 of them as a Central London Courier), I should, and I do, know better. I guess it’s just I feel that as half of a motorcyclists rights are legislated away from him, the other half are being forced away from him by Public Opinion (or is that public ignorance).

Tim to renew my MAG membership. Anyone from MAG reading this drop me a line and I’ll sign up again.

Rant over … in the meantime I’ll enjoy the sun while it lasts, roll on Summer!!! Ride Safe everyone, and even if you’re riding quick, ride safe!.

Cheers

T.