MCIA lay out plans for motorbike industry following general election call with motorcycling manifesto

The Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) have revealed their ‘Powered Light Vehicle Manifesto’ encouraging politicians from all political parties to actively support the motorbike industry.

Launched on May 30, the 11-page document follows the announcement of a UK general election on Thursday, July 4 – a move which was officially set in motion by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on May 22.

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“The objective of the manifesto document is to set out all the things that we need a new government to consider,” MCIA CEO Tony Campbell told MCN. “It’s to bring the new government up to speed on the progress the industry’s made… and it’s to gain support from local parliamentary candidates before the election to pledge their support.”

MCN last spoke with the industry boss back in mid-May following reports that we could see an official cut off for new petrol powered motorcycles by 2040.

At the time, he stated: “Whilst we are expecting an announcement on ‘phase out’ ahead of the summer recess, there is no definitive news as yet.”

This can now no longer happen, with parliament officially dissolved on May 30 – meaning there are currently no MPs in office for any constituency.

The manifesto sets out five key points, including a plea for supportive decarbonisation policies, which help the industry to achieve net zero targets using a variety of technologies and fuel types – all within a realistic time frame.

“We fully support net zero but how we get there must be proportionate, pragmatic and realistic,” the document stated. “Internal combustion engine (ICE) PLVs contribute just 0.46% to the UK’s domestic transport emissions and have an important transitional role to play in accelerating to net zero.”

The group are also calling for a simplification of rider training and testing – wanting to do away with the current tiered system launched by the European Union in 2013.

“The EU’s 2013 3rd Driving Licence Directive (3DLD) created counterproductive incentives against new and existing users progressively upskilling through licensing stages,” the manifesto reads. “As a result 3DLD has failed to improve road safety in the way it intended, with moped and motorcycle casualties stagnating over the last decade.”

Other points in the manifesto include making motorcycles adopting new technologies more attractive, stating that the current Plug-In Motorcycle Grant (PiMG) cap of £500 is insufficient for encouraging uptake.