Eu Bans Bikes? - Correct To Ride.Eu

EU BANS Bikes?

23rd Dec 2011

 

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 dyad of months back, nosotros at Right To Ride wrote to José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission regarding the European Commission’s proposal – Approval too marketplace surveillance of 2 – or three-wheel vehicles too quadricycles.

At that fourth dimension the European Commission’s proposal was existence discussed inside the IMCO Internal Market too Consumer Protection (IMCO) European Parliament commission of MEPs, riders inwards the Britain too Republic of Ireland riders had held demonstrations against the Commission’s proposal.  A demonstration past times Motorcycle News (MCN), a Britain weekly motorbike publication, was also planned to ride to Brussels – which took house inwards Nov against the proposal.

There was a lot of angst alongside riders inwards the UK, regarding issues surrounding the proposal on the internet, peculiarly on social networking pages – forums too inwards the motorbike press.

Equally, in that location was misunderstanding alongside riders of what was contained inwards the proposal, many believed (and nevertheless believe) that the Commission’s proposal included the banning of filtering through traffic, banning motorcycles over 7yrs one-time inwards Urban areas too the compulsory wearing of Hi-Viz clothing.

Most of this angst surfaced equally anti-European Union rhetoric that the proposal was run of the EU’s attempts to completely withdraw motorcyclists from European Union roads – in that location was trouble that the European Union was trying to ban bikes!

In our missive of the alphabet to the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso, nosotros set out constructively the issues surrounding the Commission’s proposal, equally good equally our concerns regarding to a greater extent than or less of the text contained inwards the European Commission Road Safety website “Specialist Knowledge page on Powered Two Wheelers” which states:

• “Riding a PTW is also much to a greater extent than unsafe than using to a greater extent than or less other motor vehicle.”

• “Discouraging or restricting the utilisation of PTWs may live on to a greater extent than acceptable if alternatives are made to a greater extent than attractive.”

We pointed out inwards our letter, that spell nosotros appreciated that in that location are a lot of of import issues existence dealt with past times the European Commission, these motorbike issues are simply equally of import to motorcyclists hither inwards Northern Republic of Ireland (31,250 approx.), Republic of Ireland (36,000 approx.), Britain (1.5million approx.) too indeed throughout the whole of Europe (33.5 ane M 1000 approx.).

We called for clarification from the Commission that would allay the fears of the European Motorcycle Citizen. We asked for a disputation that the European Commission is non attempting to completely withdraw motorcyclists from European Union roads too asked what the Commission’s seat regarding motorcycles (Powered Two Wheeler – PTW – Mopeds – Scooters – Motorcycles) is.

Reply

We get got directly received a detailed respond which was filtered downwards to the Head of Unit for Road Safety at the European Commission, Isabelle Kardacz who replied to us on behalf of the President of the Commission.

Her respond was to the point.  She stated “Let me popular off inwards rattling clear that the Commission’s seat concerning the utilisation of motorcycles too mopeds is not, too has never been, to ‘remove motorcyclist from European Union roads’.

However expanding inwards her respond to our questions she added:

“As you lot are for sure aware of, accident statistics exhibit that motorbike users get got a run a jeopardy of dying or existence seriously injured greater than users of 4 wheel vehicles. And this is also the illustration for cyclists too pedestrians.

This greater run a jeopardy is for sure related to the fact that these route users are non protected past times the vehicle too thence are to a greater extent than vulnerable inwards illustration of an accident.

This is why the Commission has ready equally a priority for its activeness to meliorate route security for motorcyclists too other vulnerable route users.

EU activeness on route security aims at reducing the high number of casualties or fatalities, which consequence inwards too so much suffering too stand upward for such an of import economical cost. For this, a diversity of measures get got been adopted too to a greater extent than volition follow inwards the future.

These measures may trouble diverse aspects of route security similar vehicle technology, preparation too licensing of drivers or improved infrastructure, but they are certainly non oriented towards limiting the utilisation of motorcycles, equally they are non aimed at limiting the utilisation of whatever type of vehicle.”

She added that, “I promise this clarifies the situation.”

This was the Commission’s response to our questions.

Whether you lot disagree with this response or attempt to analyse the reply, or read betwixt whatever unwritten lines, the European Union Commission states that its seat concerning the utilisation of motorcycles too mopeds has never been too is non to withdraw motorcyclist from European Union roads, nor has been oriented towards limiting the utilisation of motorcycles.

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