‘Tell your MP how good biking is’
I read with interest ‘Can bikes be the future in the post-covid world?’
Clearly there are many advantages of riding for commuting/leisure/friendships etc. However, as a group, we are woefully behind the organisation and commitment to our chosen transport compared with cyclists, for example.
Motorcycles are part of the solution to congestion, pollution, infrastructure requirements compared with cars and other forms of transport. So where are we going wrong? Well, when did we last write to our MP telling them how good a bike is as part of a solution? When did you last ask for motorcycle lanes, covered motorcycle parking (even the worst £50 push-bike benefits from this), lockers at work for your helmet and potentially wet gear in the winter, road tax concessions etc? You get the drift.
Cyclists have a strong commitment and lobby anyone and everyone to improve their conditions. Why are motorcyclists, as a group more reluctant to improve their lot — are we not worthy?
With motorcycling about to embark on a renaissance, there is no better time to write to your MP, talk to your boss, or engage with local councils.
Tell them what is happening, why you are part of the solution and what you want them to do. We should grasp the opportunity before it slips away or other groups hijack pitiful budgets to improve their lot. Bikes can and should be the future and we can all help to make it so.
Well said, Dave. The Motorcycle Industry Association does lobby the government at a certain level, but a grass-roots campaign targeting everyone from your boss to your local MP is a great idea. MW