Government determined to ban motorcycles
Discussion
Just found this while researching the recent furore over registration of all motorcycles, it's a transcipt of the transport select committee's meeting to discuss the future of motorcycling:
www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmtran/uc264-ii/uc26402.htm
It's very long, but shows the word-for-word workings of this unelected quango. Astonishing ignorance and stupidity throughout, and they take care to hold lengthy interviews with a number of patently anti-biking nutcases on the environmental and safety aspects. The minister for transport, Steven Ladyman, is riddenover roughshod by the Chairman Gwyneth Dunwoody, who is obsessed with fitting speed limiters to bikes and banning them from public places. Giving evidence are David Griffin, Deputy Chief Constable, Humberside Police, Phil Edwards, National BikeSafe Co-ordinator, Association of Chief Police Officers, Kevin Clinton, Head of Road Safety, Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, Don Matthew, Policy Advisor, Sustrans, Mr Stephen Plowden, described as a Transport Planner and Author, Dr Stephen Ladyman, Minister of State for Transport Mr Andrew Colski, Head of Vulnerable Road Users Branch, Department for Transport.
There is no representation from the motorcycle industry or from riders groups at all.
I think this is very worrying indeed.
www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmtran/uc264-ii/uc26402.htm
It's very long, but shows the word-for-word workings of this unelected quango. Astonishing ignorance and stupidity throughout, and they take care to hold lengthy interviews with a number of patently anti-biking nutcases on the environmental and safety aspects. The minister for transport, Steven Ladyman, is riddenover roughshod by the Chairman Gwyneth Dunwoody, who is obsessed with fitting speed limiters to bikes and banning them from public places. Giving evidence are David Griffin, Deputy Chief Constable, Humberside Police, Phil Edwards, National BikeSafe Co-ordinator, Association of Chief Police Officers, Kevin Clinton, Head of Road Safety, Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, Don Matthew, Policy Advisor, Sustrans, Mr Stephen Plowden, described as a Transport Planner and Author, Dr Stephen Ladyman, Minister of State for Transport Mr Andrew Colski, Head of Vulnerable Road Users Branch, Department for Transport.
There is no representation from the motorcycle industry or from riders groups at all.
I think this is very worrying indeed.
Edited by Mon Ami Mate on Monday 7th May 09:24
Edited by Mon Ami Mate on Monday 7th May 09:28
When you take the time to read it all, you can see that the politians are complete numpties who are determined to do whatever it takes to make a name for themselves and clearly arn't even listening to the Police sitting in front of them.....
Strewth......and we are responsible for electing these idiots....
Strewth......and we are responsible for electing these idiots....
aeropilot said:
When you take the time to read it all, you can see that the politians are complete numpties who are determined to do whatever it takes to make a name for themselves and clearly arn't even listening to the Police sitting in front of them.....
Strewth......and we are responsible for electing these idiots....
Strewth......and we are responsible for electing these idiots....
I think this about sums up every aspect of the current Government; absolutely feckin' clueless.
'Tis a sad state of affairs indeed.......
The government will chip away at freedoms bit by bit as they have done in many other aspects of our lives since 1997. It's wise to fight even the slightest attempt at their control freakery.
Their usual trick is, of course, to suggest a significant and worrying change, take on the objections and get everyone to accept a lesser restriction. The objectors think they have won a victory and the government gets what it wanted anyway, hammering another nail in the coffin of freedom.
Their usual trick is, of course, to suggest a significant and worrying change, take on the objections and get everyone to accept a lesser restriction. The objectors think they have won a victory and the government gets what it wanted anyway, hammering another nail in the coffin of freedom.
Dullards said:
Mr Plowden: Not at all. What I was suggesting was that I do not quite see why anybody needs a motorcycle more powerful than the learner machines, which have a top speed, commonly, of 60 or 65 miles an hour.
Q178 Chairman: You would find it very difficult, Mr Plowden, to differentiate in that way. You can imagine the screams of constraints on trade and discrimination. I agree with you, but then I do not know why people need motorcycles at all, so my view is not exactly unbiased.
Q178 Chairman: You would find it very difficult, Mr Plowden, to differentiate in that way. You can imagine the screams of constraints on trade and discrimination. I agree with you, but then I do not know why people need motorcycles at all, so my view is not exactly unbiased.
Genius.
Edited by Rawwr on Monday 7th May 12:50
Quinny said:
dennisthemenace said:
It will never happen mate.
You mean like banning the use of dark visors, and the 125bhp limit and the restrictive riding test that means it costs a bloody fortune to get a license
Lest not forget Fred Hill and the compulsory introduction of helmets......
I was quite shocked and disturbed to find my head nodding in agreement to the comments made by the police. I don't know why, but I always assumed that Police at this level were completely clueless morons. Their comments, in the main, were sensible and constructive. I may not agree with all of them, but their views on differing degrees of breaking the law and focussing on the bigger issues was a breath of freshair. What is utterly depressing is that the commission had clearly made it's mind up on registration before the experts (the police) could explain that it was a pointless measure. And having someone who is openly antibike on the commission is just crazy.....
dare2fail said:
I was quite shocked and disturbed to find my head nodding in agreement to the comments made by the police. I don't know why, but I always assumed that Police at this level were completely clueless morons. Their comments, in the main, were sensible and constructive. I may not agree with all of them, but their views on differing degrees of breaking the law and focussing on the bigger issues was a breath of freshair. What is utterly depressing is that the commission had clearly made it's mind up on registration before the experts (the police) could explain that it was a pointless measure. And having someone who is openly antibike on the commission is just crazy.....
Not just anti-bike. The Chairman of the transport committee, Gwyneth Dunwoody, has never held any form of driving licence. How can the Government believe that the person most suited to chair the transport committee has no experience at all of the form of transport on which we all rely? No wonder she only invites deputations from people who are anti road transport. The whole thing is a joke.
northernboy said:
Quinny said:
You mean like banning the use of dark visors, and the 125bhp limit
Er, are you sure about this one?
I could swear that I can walk dwn to the shop today and ride out on a 180bhp machine, quite legally. Do you know something that the rest of us don't?
The 125BHP limit was voluntarily agreed by the manufacturers in the early nineties in order to stave off government intervention. They chucked it in 1997 when the heat was off!
Mon Ami Mate said:
northernboy said:
Quinny said:
You mean like banning the use of dark visors, and the 125bhp limit
Er, are you sure about this one?
I could swear that I can walk dwn to the shop today and ride out on a 180bhp machine, quite legally. Do you know something that the rest of us don't?
The 125BHP limit was voluntarily agreed by the manufacturers in the early nineties in order to stave off government intervention. They chucked it in 1997 when the heat was off!
Ah, that one.
I seem to recal hat they just got too pissed off at Triumph, who never viewed it as applying to them.
If that is the one that he was talking about, then, it was a bad example, as it was totally voluntary, and, as we have seen, went pretty quickly.
Leadfoot said:
Mon Ami Mate said:
The Chairman of the transport committee, Gwyneth Dunwoody, has never held any form of driving licence.
Nor has the next prime minister, Robber Brown..........
Nor did another fairly recent Minister for Transport, Alistair Darling.
And for those of us who live in London, neither does that newt-fondling to$$er Livingstone.
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