Mag And Fema News

News from the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG)

Leeds Fight Motorcycle Theft meeting back in the diary.



A new date has been announced for the postponed Leeds Fight Motorcycle Theft meeting. The previous arrangements were postponed due to the availability of West Yorkshire Deputy Mayor, Alison Lowe. The rescheduled meeting will now take place on Saturday 11th November.

Motorcycle theft in the West Yorkshire Police area continues to increase. According to PNC data, bike thieves were 16% more active in the first half of 2023 compared with the same period in 2022. West Yorkshire has seen double the national average increase.

MAG aimed to hold a public meeting with DMPC Alison Lowe and West Yorkshire Police earlier in the year but unfortunately the meeting had to be postponed. The rescheduled date has now been announced: Saturday 11th November.

MAG’s Director of Campaigns & Political Engagement, Colin Brown, said:

“I do believe that these meetings help to raise awareness and understanding of the scale of the issue riders face. There are local variations and complexities to be considered, but the fundamental lesson is that more needs to be done to tackle the issue. Motorcycle theft is far from a victimless crime: it is an enabler for a range of further criminal activity. The impacts are far ranging for all parts of society. The frustrations and anger amongst the legitimate riding community is growing and we need to see a more robust response from the authorities.”

The meetings are free to attend and open to all. MAG encourages as many riders as possible to attend. We need to push home the message that we want to see the tide turn against this increasing criminality. MAG’s Yorkshire region activists have done great work getting more secure parking infrastructure in Leeds and engaging with Councils and West Yorkshire Police. But more can - and should - be done by all stakeholders. Our work will continue and hopefully we will increase support for our efforts from the DMPC with this meeting.

Contact MAG at 01926 844 064 or [email protected]

 

News from the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG)

MAG says: “riders want a licence to ride.”



“Riders want a licence to ride” is the comment from MAG regarding the MCIA’s “Licence to Net Zero” framing. The actual priorities of motorcyclists - not the Net Zero agenda - should inform reform of the motorcycle licensing regime. MAG has long called for reform but seeks to ensure that the interests of riders remain the real priority.

Earlier this week the MCIA called for reform of the motorcycle licensing regime in the UK, describing their proposals as “a licence for Net Zero”. The campaign is supported by the Zemo Partnership and the National Motorcyclist Council.

MAG points out that, as the largest representative body for motorcycle licence holders in the UK, they were not invited to help draft the campaign framing or its proposals, which has resulted in the organisation expressing concern about the framing.

MAG opposes Net Zero being framed as the primary driver and goal for motorcycle licence reform and has long been calling for licence reform for the benefit of new and potential riders. MAG can demonstrate that these new riders are not motivated by Net Zero goals.

Focus group research into the motivations of new riders conducted by the University of Nottingham and MAG showed that the primary motivations mentioned by riders do not include a desire to “be green”. Referring to the key motivators, the research report states: “It appears that a key driver for wanting to ride PTWs as an adult is early, positive exposure to motorcycling or scootering in childhood. Several of our participants cited contact, in their early years, with relatives who rode as a key influence. Others cited the desire for a practical (and cheap) form of commuting, learning new and challenging skills, the sociability of the bike and scooter scene, and just having fun and a sense of freedom on the road.”

Research released by MAG in November 2022 concluded that the current licensing regime is suppressing the numbers of individuals riding motorcycles. Additionally, it is having an adverse impact on young rider safety. The report recommended a full review of the motorcycle licensing regime and that the review goal should be to increase “the conversion rate from CBT to full motorcycle licence holders.”

MAG is also expressing concern that the current licensing regime disincentivizes progression into legitimate and responsible riding as a full licence holder. This may actually be pushing some individuals towards anti-social riding behaviour and even criminality.

MAG is therefore calling for reformed licensing to promote better safety and to create a welcoming pathway for new riders wanting to enter the legitimate and responsible road riding community. The current system creates a barrier that is a potential driver of antisocial behaviour and petty criminality.

MAG’s Director of Campaigns & Political Engagement, Colin Brown, said:

“We all want reform of the motorcycle licensing regime. Our priority is achieving the best outcome for new and potential riders – nothing more and nothing less. We do not want to see any other priority leading the decision-making process. The riders’ voice should be the most influential guide in generating any proposals, not other interest groups. Reform of the licensing regime is not predicated on the green agenda. It was needed before Net Zero became a thing. It is not needed now simply because Net Zero targets have been set. We want reform that works for new riders today and in the future. That has little if anything to do with carbon emissions. We have not had time to gather feedback on the MCIA proposals yet, but we will be doing that. What we can say at this stage is that the MCIA framing is disappointing.”

Contact MAG at 01926 844 064

 

Sound quality's not brilliant.

 

News from the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG)

Motorcycle Theft Focus Group to be formed following public meeting in Hull.



Humberside Police offer to form a motorcycle theft focus group at MAG’s Fight Motorcycle Theft meeting in Hull. Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner, Jonathan Evison, and Operation Yellowfin lead, Chief Inspector Derek Hussain, are both backing this engagement having heard the concerns of local riders at the meeting.

The meeting, held in Hull on 21st October, was the fifth in a series of meetings being organised by the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) around the country. A turnout of over 40 riders at the meeting saw some honest opinions being expressed about the fear and intimidation faced by local motorcyclists. Many expressed their unwillingness to continue riding into the city due to the level of criminal activity targeted at them. Riders expressed a desire to feel safe when riding and parking in the city. Emotions were high with perceptions around insufficient police response and fears that Operation Yellowfin is an operation “in name only”.

Both the PCC and CI Hussain stressed the importance of fully reporting crimes, intimidation and suspicious activity, if necessary through Crimestoppers, an entirely anonymous reporting channel. Attendees were also encouraged to sign up to Humberside’s My Community Alert to receive real-time messages about incidents happening in their neighbourhood.

The offer made by CI Hussain - and fully supported by the PCC in the meeting - was to form a focus group to enable better lines of communication, and a route for the riding community to ensure that their concerns are being taken seriously and leading to a robust response.

Speaking after the meeting Jonathan Evison said:

“These engagements are always important because we haven’t got all the answers. There was a very, very passionate response from the people in the room, a lot of passion within the questions and a lot of information. I have a perception, and the participants in the discussion had a perception and it wasn’t the same, so we need to work out how we actually can come together on that. There were some good suggestions that came out from the floor and also from the panel and I think we can move on very positively from this.

If you want to know what the problem is, and also what the solutions are, you need to talk to the people who have the lived experience in these areas. I come from industry so the people you talk to are the people that are actually doing the jobs. In this scenario it’s the actual bikers, they know what the problem is, and often they know what the solutions are as well. Now, if those solutions are not palatable, because they are quite a robust group of individuals, we have to find a workaround or do something different, but a lot of them are common sense and we need to listen to that, and we need to implement that. And collectively, we're going to form a group to be able to do that.”

Chief Inspector Hussain, speaking about the meeting said:

“Absolutely fantastic, you got a really good group of people, I think about 40 to 45 attended. We had a really honest conversation to understand the feeling of being a victim of crime. My view is you have got absolute commitment from Humberside Police. I have exchanged quite a few contacts already, we’re going to set up a focus group together, and we’re going to start really working together to build up the confidence again that we need to see.”

Contact MAG at 01926 844 064 or [email protected]

 

Latest news from FEMA
https://www.femamotorcycling.eu/

 

News from the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG)

MAG calls out lethargy on electric motorcycle charging infrastructure.



The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) has repeated warnings that the needs of motorcyclists are being ignored in charging infrastructure provision. Riders are being urged from all angles to ‘go electric’ at this week’s Motorcycle Live show, but MAG shows that the needs of riders are not considered when it comes to charging infrastructure.

Soon after the publication of the Government’s UK electric vehicle infrastructure strategy in March 2022, MAG warned that the interests of motorcyclists were not adequately covered. Twenty months later MAG has taken the opportunity to explore charging facilities for motorcycles at the Birmingham NEC and found them to be inadequate. In a video released by MAG the provision of charging infrastructure for motorcycles has been examined in some depth.


Despite being home to one of Europe’s largest EV charging facilities, the home of the Motorcycle Live Show has admitted that there are no dedicated motorcycle charging facilities on site. Free motorcycle parking is offered in Hall 1 for the duration of the show, but with no charging points. The main carparks have a tiny number of charge points, none dedicated for motorcycles, and the BP Pulse facility is accessed via front-facing ANPR camera-controlled barriers.

MAG’s Director of Campaigns & Political Engagement, Colin Brown, said:

“It is ironic that, at the UK’s premier motorcycle show, where the future of motorcycling is displayed and promoted, the basics of charging infrastructure are so shockingly sub-standard. We pointed out to the Government that despite our efforts to raise alarms in the consultations, the strategy seemed to ignore the interests of motorcyclists. Well over a year later, speaking to infrastructure providers it is clear that the needs of riders are yet to enter the conversation. I am not aware of the existence of a single dedicated, public motorcycle charging bay in the country. If anyone knows different – please let me know.”

MAG’s National Chair, Neil Liversidge, said:

“We are implacably opposed to the Government’s policy to wipe out the internal combustion engine. That does not mean we are opposed to electric motorcycles – they will be part of the future of motorcycling. But the relative significance of that role should be determined by the riders, not the Government. We will campaign just as hard for riders’ needs to be considered in the charging infrastructure as we do for riders’ interests in all other areas. What is clear to me, is that the Government want to force us to buy electric bikes, but cannot be bothered to create even the pretence that they intend to make those vehicles a viable option.”

Contact MAG at 01926 844 064 or [email protected]

MAG’s press release from March 2022 “ Electric vehicle infrastructure strategy inadequate for motorcyclists” - https://mag-uk.org/electric-vehicle-infrastructure-strategy-inadequate-for-motorcyclists/


MAG’s video on motorcycle charging infrastructure:

 

The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) are calling for an end to discrimination against motorcycles at Whitby railway station. In an open letter to the Chair of DfT OLR Holdings Ltd, the Government body running Northern Rail, MAG’s Chair, Neil Liversidge, has demanded an urgent reversal of policy.

Anger remains high over the recent move to ban motorcycle parking at Whitby station. Northern Rail remain silent beyond template responses to calls for engagement.

Whitby station is operated by Northern Rail, a franchise taken into public control by the then Transport Minister, Grant Shapps.

DfT OLR Holdings (DOHL) is the holding company established by the Department for Transport to act as operator of last resort for rail franchises that are nationalised. MAG Chair, Neil Liversidge, has written an open letter to DOHL Chair, Richard George, demanding urgent action:

“to ensure that the decision to ban motorcycles from parking at Whitby station is reversed immediately, and commit to working with the Motorcycle Action Group to establish how the facilities at, not just Whitby but all, Northern operated stations can be improved for the benefit of those choosing to travel to those stations by motorcycle.”

In the letter, Neil refers to a near decade old publication by the Association of Train Operating Companies entitled ‘Motorcycle Parking at Rail Stations Guide’. This publication explains:

“Although it is hard to place a financial value on encouraging the use of motorcycles in combination with rail journeys, when building a business case for providing motorcycle parking this should be seen as an essential part of managing parking demand and customer-facing service provision.”

The open letter, copied to the current Minister of State, Mark Harper, states:

“There are no dedicated motorcycle bays at the car park, tariffs do not state a rate for motorcycles and, until the introduction of the Ringo payment system, did not apply outside the hours 6am – 6pm. It is hard to see any genuine justification for this heavy-handed action other than discrimination due to intolerance and disinterest in the needs of certain customers.”

Neil pointed to promises made by Richard George in 2020 to “transform services across Northern’s network, putting the needs of passengers first.” Neil wrote:

“You appear to have failed in delivering anything other than discrimination towards motorcyclists who are passengers.”

The York and North Yorkshire MAG group have vowed to organise demonstrations in the New Year if Northern rail continue to refuse engagement on the issue.

Contact MAG at 01926 844 064 or [email protected]

 

Just a bit.

 

Well I wonder how many people who used this car park, and were turfed out just for being a motorcyclist will now join MAG as a way of saying, "Thank You" ??

 

Latest news from FEMA.
https://www.femamotorcycling.eu/eu-licence-proposal/

 

he Motorcycle Action Group (MAG), the UK’s leading voice for riders’ rights, reflects on the past year and looks forward to another year of positive outcomes for motorcyclists.

As 2023 draws to a close, MAG can report significant progress throughout the year, and will shortly be gearing up for another year of action and engagement.

Summing up the past year, MAG’s Chair, Neil Liversidge, said:

“As it does every year, MAG has campaigned up and down the country on behalf of its members and the wider motorcycling community. Wherever it sees discrimination against riders, it is challenged. Where bikers are ignored – for example by omission from Transport Plans – MAG engages with the decision-makers to ensure that there is inclusion.
Last year we launched ‘Operation Earthquake’, and I am happy to report that this initiative has been steadily gathering momentum with significant political engagement.
MAG continues to promote motorcycling as part of the solution when it comes to reducing our impact on the planet. It is a simple and immediate contribution that should – but often isn’t – sufficiently encouraged.
Our Political Unit has worked hard on these and many other campaigns, and I am immensely grateful for their hard work, as I am for the tireless efforts of our volunteers, without whom we could not succeed.

MAG has also celebrated its 50th Anniversary of championing riders’ rights, which is a testament to the enthusiasm and tenacity of its members and supporters.”
After a short break over the festive season, MAG will be campaigning with renewed vigour to ensure that motorcycling and motorcyclists continue to be taken seriously in respect to their needs.

MAG’s Central Office will close at noon on Friday 22nd December 2023 and reopen on Tuesday 2nd January 2024.

MAG invites riders, dealers, mechanics and manufacturers to join MAG and help create a united voice for the common good of the riding community.

Contact MAG at 01926 844 064 or [email protected]
Central Office
The Motorcycle Action Group Limited
Tel: 01926 844064
Fax: 01926 844065

 

News from the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG)

MAG focusses on 2024

The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG), the UK’s leading voice for riders’
rights, prepares for another busy year defending motorcycling.

MAG will continue to robustly defend riders’ rights and to ensure that
motorcyclists influence local and national government policies in the
year ahead.

Looking forward to 2024, MAG’s Chairman, Neil Liversidge, said:

“In 2023 MAG celebrated its 50th Anniversary by working harder than ever
for motorcyclists and motorcycling. Our aim is to top that in 2024, a
year which will see a General Election being fought between parties
whose policies will make most people much poorer through their hostility
to practical personal transport.

Our Operation Earthquake is ramping up. Climate change is being used as
an excuse to exterminate motorcycling as we know it, for no real benefit
to anyone and certainly not the environment. We shall never accept the
death sentence that all the main parties have passed on our way of life.
In 2024 we aim to create a political earthquake. We want electors to
vote against all anti-motorist candidates.

Our professional full-time political team will continue to engage with
policymakers. Supporting them, our thousands of volunteers will alert
the electorate to what the realities of mistaken and so-called ‘green’
policies will mean to them. I also thank every one of our volunteer
workers. Without their expertise, dedication, and enthusiasm, we would
not be the hugely effective organisation that we are.”
MAG invites riders, dealers, mechanics, racers and manufacturers to join
MAG in what is now an existential fight for the survival of motorcycling
as we know and love it.

Contact MAG at 01926 844 064 or [email protected]