Hi guys. I realise this is not the usual first posting but the BMF needs your help today. We need you to e-mail your MP as a matter of urgency.
Early this month, there were rumours that the Austrian Presidency of the European Union was cooking up a scheme with Germany to fast track agreement of a Common Position on the Third EC Driving Licence Directive. Austria and Germany have disagreed with some of the proposals, particularly those relating to the life of driving licences and their renewal but showed no interest in the motorcycling proposals. Germany even praised them at the last Council of Ministers meeting in December. Nevertheless, they opposed agreement of a Common Position at the time. The proposal that they were considering in early March, as one of several options was that there should be a lengthy period before implementation of the Directive effectively sparing those who agreed to it any embarrassment when it was put in place since they would be unlikely to still be in office.
We learned only this week that Austria and Germany intend to put the Third EC Driving Licence Directive in its current form but with a lengthy implementation date on the agenda of Council of Ministers on Monday 27th March with a view to agreeing a Common Position. They have designated it an ‘A’ topic i.e. one to be voted on without discussion. Throughout the UK Presidency and during the current Austrian Presidency, there has been a marked reluctance to open the text of the draft Directive to discuss even the issues that the Council members regard as sticking points let alone the motorcycling proposals. Hence there is little or no chance of the Council considering the European motorcycling community’s amendments to moderate the motorcycling proposals or the UK motorcycling community’s more radical approach of deleting them entirely to be revisited at a later time. BMF representatives brought this to the attention of Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman at a meeting on Wednesday but he claims that he has been unable to find support from other national governments at Council of Ministers meetings and that even the industry with the exception of Honda UK have made few representations. Even the Italians and Germans with indigenous motorcycle industries have shown no interest. A ‘non-paper’ submitted by the UK Government on the motorcycling proposals was rejected by all other parties. Dr Ladyman has agreed to register his disapproval of the proposal at the Council but indicated that he will be abstaining from the vote rather than voting against the proposals.
This has a number of implications. This action is contrary to the indications given by the Austrian Presidency and the UK Government where it appeared that with so many differences, the Third EC Driving Licence Directive would be allowed to run out of time and be withdrawn for redrafting. The reluctance by the Council to debate it is also a concern with their justification being that they are reluctant to lose the points on which they are agreed. There is the question that if the time for implementation has been changed, then the text of the draft Directive has been amended and it should be subject to a debate. This all comes across as fundamentally undemocratic with governments who are supposed to represent the interests of their citizens failing to make transparent decisions. The agreement of a Common Position completes the First Reading and allows the draft Directive to proceed to the Second Reading initially in the European Parliament. With the ongoing reluctance to discuss the text, the Rapporteur and shadow rapporteurs want a formal Second Reading in which the draft Directive in its current form will merely be rubber-stamped. So, the next stage will be to demand a full Second Reading and that the motorcycling elements are, at least considered, if not deleted. In the interim, we should contact our MPs to whom Stephen Ladyman is answerable NOW to call for him to adopt a more robust position. Please send an e-mail to your MP based upon the following:
It has just come to my notice that the draft Third EC Driving Licence Directive is to be subject to undemocratic procedures at the Council of Ministers meeting on Monday 27th March. The Austrian Presidency of the European Union proposes to extend the period for its implementation and vote on a Common Position without discussion. The UK motorcycling community has consistently expressed concerns about the motorcycling proposals in the draft Directive which will have a devastating effect on the use of motorcycles and their benefits in addressing congestion and social exclusion by restricting access to them yet failing to improve road safety. We believe that there should at least be full discussion of the motorcycling issues at the Council of Ministers meeting and preferably their deletion from the draft Directive so that meaningful proposals taking the latest research can be drafted.
At a recent meeting with representatives from the British Motorcyclists Federation, Minister for Transport, Dr Stephen Ladyman claimed that he had received no support from other EU member states with regard to the motorcycling measures in the Third EC Driving Licence Directive and so, at Monday’s Council of Ministers proposed to register the concerns of the UK motorcycling community but to abstain rather than voting against agreement of a Common Position.
There is a serious danger that if the Council agrees a Common Position without discussion, then the European Parliament will also be reluctant to fully debate the text of the draft Directive. The inevitable outcome of this will be the implementation of measures damaging to the future of motorcycling which have not been subject to transparent and democratic procedures. Please use your influence with the Minister to ask him to more diligently seek the support of potential allies and to conduct a more robust defence, not only of UK motorcyclists’ interests but the principles of democracy in the European Union.
I'm probably setting myself up for a lynching here but I'm not sure what the big issue is here. Unless I've misunderstood, the men in suits are putting forward a standardised and more easily traceable europe wide licence. The bike part implies three levels of licence - 125 cc, a mid power licence and a full on hairy arsed max power one, with various age restrictions. Isn't that more or less what we have now.
A more easily traced licence is surely a good idea - there are far too many scumbag motorists getting away with murder.
I just wish they would apply the same licence restrictions to kids getting into fast cars, which is potentially a far more dangerous proposition.
I might just be geting older (and I have kids now) but I don't think restricting what spotty yoofs can jump straight on is unreasonable, especially as bikes are so fast these days, even 600's are mental. I want my son to get into bikes but I have no problem with his access to missiles being gradual.
Besides this might push the bike manufactureres to start making these tasty lightweight diesels I keep seeing in MCN .
If there are more sinister implications I have missed - sorry. I would be grateful if someone could point this out to me. Liz?
Barry_MC21 wrote:Before you lot start having a go for spaming, this is a legit post.
Liz is pretty high up in the BMF and a very nice and genuine person.
This post is serious and not spam.
as far as I can see and this has been posted on every forum I have looked at today....so its almost spam.....buuuut as far as I can work out it appears that this is against a more stringent licencing system...how is than a bad thing if it stops someone going from a 125 to a gixxer 1000 surely thats a good thing.
maybe I have it wrong. _________________ MC21SP - Roth-tax
CBR400 - track
MC21R - sold
MC21SP - sold
I agree, once upon a time, not that long ago, we could argue that our little 250's could cut it with just about anything on the road, but these new 1000's (and as mentioned, even 600's) are ridiculous!
Whilst MOTing my MC21 on Monday Steve pointed out that a 2006 GSX-R1000 is actually lighter than my 250, and he dyno'd a bog stock one at near 170hp recently! How can it be a good thing that you can jump from a CG125 onto one of those with 3 days intensive training?!
Remember the days of riding your RD125 round the block and an emergency stop when the guy by the side of the road put his hand up and walked out into your path? Remember too those few guys in every town not long after on crutches or in wheel chairs, victims of 350LC's and GSX-R750's as they'd gone striaght out after their tests and got the biggest most powerful bike they could find? We're only talking of a jump from 12~15hp to 50~70hp in those days, but with shocking tyres and chassis admittedly, but today we are talking about a jump of 150hp in some cases - no chassis can compensate for that!!
I'm not saying it doesn't happen now, but I know there is a distinct lack of wheelchair bound 18~20 year olds in my town these days, and the stricter licensing and harder persuit test surely has something to do with that?
I'm with Colin, if it increases safety and awareness, then why is it bad? And why can't they do the same for 17 year olds and cars? What really concerns me is why they can't stop targeting motorcyclists as the scum of the highways! Sure, we like a bit of speed and adrenaline, but I don't think there are nearly so many of us trying to do it in town centres, outside schools, or in housing estates!! _________________ Andy.
NSR-WORLD.COM
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I agree with those who have said its a good thing but has include cars,they have this sort of thing in Oz and New Zealand when they pass their car test.
If i think about when my boy will be 17,in 11 years time,how light will the GSXR 1000 be then? and how much HP will it be making?they do need to do something.
I remember having a go on a mates TZR250 when i had my 125 and ended up on the other side of the road hitting the curb when I got to the first bend.
If they didnt have licence restrictions in Japan we might never have got 250's or 400's.
No. I think you missed it in all the waffle.
The main point my Anglo-saxon mates is about that distant taken for granted thing called democracy.
Poms seem to have lost the plot on that one at the mo, what the post is on about is unelected quango types making decisions for you but without consent.
Please go back and read English history 101.
I didn't miss the point, I just couldn't be bothered to waste my precious time wading through the pages of bollox, so decided to pass comment on the other issue bought up instead.
Organisations like the BMF would do well to cut the crap out and just get to the point. It's always the same with all this legal stuff, but frankly I have better things to be doing with my time than read pages and pages of legal jargon and activist ramblings. Just tell us the problem in one simple to read paragraph, and how we can help in one simple step.
I wonder how many readers on other Forums have just skimmed right over the topic or deviated from it within the first couple of posts? Most, I reckon. Mad Liz may well be a sound and genuine person, but in my opinion she's going about gaining support in all the wrong ways. I consider myself a fairly intellectual type (despite what you lot think!! ) but even I just can't be arsed with it all... too much like hard work!!
Even if it is an undemocratically enforced legislation, it is most likely going to be made in the interests of safety, and if that's the case, why doesn't the BMF support it? What, we need to vote in favour to pass a bill they would pass anyway, without public involvment? Sounds like an excuse to demonstrate against the system for the hell of it - something clubs like the BMF seem to love to do, just to piss government departments off, and waste time and money!!
Just inform us in plain English, and get straight to the point, if you want to try and gain our support!! _________________ Andy.
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Please keep all responses to Forum posts on the Forum so that others may benefit.
Please DO NOT PM me for technical advice. My time is precious, and you will probably receive a faster response on the Forum anyway.
The funny thing is that if it's not Europe screwing you, it's Tony Blair and Brown.
Freaking neo-labour....
Anyhow, the new R6 is a hot cake - feels like a nimble 125cc sports bike until you lean on it a tiny bit - it feels like a tiny moment outside the laws of Physics - great fun _________________ These aren't the droids you're looking for.
I read the whole thing, and no-where did she explain what it was going to do. Just that it would be voted in without discussion.
Maybe the Euro government are going to give all bikers £5000 to spend on europe made modifications? _________________ MC21SP Plaything
BMW F800GS Bumblebee
Triumph 9551 Daytona Big boys toy
FJ1100 Sporting relic
GTS1000 oddball
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