MAGNews: Integrated Transport Strategy call for ideas: Time to recognise motorcycling
The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) has submitted a bold response to the Government’s Integrated National Transport Strategy call for ideas. The response demands an end to motorcycling’s neglect in transport planning. MAG is urging the government to recognise motorcycles as a vital part of the UK's transport future. This submission comes at a pivotal moment, following the Department for Transport’s (DfT) admission that "at present, the Government has no policy to encourage greater use of motorcycles."
MAG’s response highlights decades of policy failures that have reduced mobility, increased congestion, and ignored air quality benefits. A truly integrated, safe, and efficient transport network must acknowledge motorcycling as a sustainable, flexible, and cost-effective transport solution.
Key themes outlined in MAG’s submission include:
- Embedding Motorcycling into the National Transport Strategy.
Consider motorcycling across all areas of transport planning, including infrastructure, policy, data collection, and technology. The current approach creates inconsistent and ineffective policies that fail to recognize motorcycles’ contribution to a balanced transport system.
- Data-Driven Policy Development.
Comprehensive data collection on motorcycle usage, safety, and needs is essential. Better data will allow for successful interventions, improved road design, and safety measures that benefit all road users. This must be done under a Welcoming Roads ethos.
- Leveraging Technology for Motorcyclists.
Support all powertrain technologies, including electric, alternative fuels, and improved internal combustion engines. Battery-electric should not be the only solution. A diverse range of technologies must be explored to meet different transport needs. The government must also wake up to the “repackaging” of motorcycles as e-scooters and e-bikes to exploit regulatory loopholes. These vehicles must be properly classified and regulated as motorcycles.
Colin Brown, MAG’s Director of Campaigns & Political Engagement, said:
“The DfT’s admission that there is no policy to encourage motorcycling needs to be a watershed moment. It exposes a glaring gap in transport planning. Will the Government finally engage with the motorcycling community? Or will it continue to ignore a transport mode that offers real solutions to congestion, sustainability, and personal mobility? The time for action is now.”
MAG’s submission highlights the fragmented approach to motorcycling in Local Transport Plans.
Research conducted with the University of Nottingham reveals that most local authorities fail to recognise motorcycles as a viable transport option. MAG argues that a national strategy is necessary to ensure consistency and prevent councils from “reinventing the wheel.”
Colin added:
“Motorcyclists have been treated as an afterthought for too long. This lack of direction has led to policies that are futile and often disadvantage riders. If the Government is serious about creating a modern, efficient, and sustainable transport system, it must stop ignoring motorcycling and start integrating it.”
MAG urges Labour Ministers to engage with the motorcycling community and take these proposals seriously. The organisation stands ready to work with policymakers. MAG wants to ensure that the Integrated National Transport Strategy is about all road users, including motorcyclists.
ENDS
Contact MAG at 03300 560 886 or central-office@mag-uk.org
Notes for Editors
The full MAG response can be found here: https://wiki.mag-uk.org/
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