Huge driving law changes could be introduced to allow motorcycles in bus lanes

The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) met with transport minister Richard Holden to discuss policy issues, with positive results coming from the meeting.

Mr Holden, who is Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Roads and Local Transport, said he was open to developing better policies for motorcycling.

According to the NMC, the transport minister agreed that further work was needed to address rider licencing, safety and other areas of legislation.

There have been calls in recent years to include motorcycling in major transport policies, with the sector bringing in around £7billion to the economy.

Motorcycles have been presented as a key option for the UK’s target of achieving decarbonisation in the transport sector.

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It highlighted how motorcycles do not apply to the “one size fits all” approach of lowering emissions with bans of new petrol and diesel vehicles from the end of the decade.

Craig Carey-Clinch, executive director of the NMC said it was a “very positive meeting”, with Mr Holden saying he was keen to learn more about the industry.

He added: “His strong support for motorcycles in bus lanes was very welcome, as was his open mind about many of the issues that the NMC raised. 

“NMC members were able to raise individual issues and received a positive reception to these.”

Many groups including the NMC and British Motorcyclists Federation have called on the Government to expand motorcycle access in bus lanes to reduce congestion and emissions.

However, there were some concerns that there is still a belief that motorcycling is a safety problem and not “a transport opportunity to be supported”.

Motorcycle riders account for 20 percent of all deaths on UK roads, despite only representing three percent of vehicle registrations.

They are also involved in 18 percent of all collisions and account for 13 percent of all casualties, according to IAM RoadSmart.

Antony Kildare, CEO at IAM RoadSmart, said: “Encouraged by Mr Holden’s receptiveness, I feel optimistic that change on the critical issue of motorcycle safety can finally be made.  

“This makes now the perfect time for IAM RoadSmart to announce that, in partnership with eminent motorcycle and transport industry bodies, we are calling on Parliament to refocus on motorcyclist safety to prevent the disproportionate risks that riders face every day on our roads.

“We are calling for change, but more importantly, we are calling for recognition. Maybe then, we will finally see a society where all road users, including motorcyclists, can safely and sustainably use the highways together.”

Industry growth for motorcycling is at eight percent, with the use of motorcycles increasing by four percent in recent years.