Northern Ireland based Right to Ride have posted a very good piece on their web site which quite rightly points out that there is some misunderstanding surrounding the EU proposals.
For example, as MAG Ireland has previously pointed out, there is no EU proposal to ban bikes over seven years old from urban centers. This was in fact a domestic French proposal, and while it’s unlikely to be made law even in France, there is a possibility that it could happen. In that scenario, however unlikely it may be, the proposal could – in theory – be later taken up at EU level. So it’s not a threat we face from the EU right now.
Equally, there is no EU proposal for mandatory high viz. Again, this is a domestic proposal. In this case the first ones to propose it were our own Road Safety Authority back in 2009. The French also had a similar proposal on the table, and while riders quite rightly demonstrate against these proposals, it’s important to understand that they are not EU proposals, but domestic ones. The important thing here is that the RSA have said they intend introduce regulations for mandatory high viz, so it is a very real threat that you’ll be forced to wear one.
Right to Ride’s piece includes a very informative e-mail from Malcolm Harbour, chairman of the IMCO committee, which goes into some detail about the EU proposals including mandatory ABS, Automatic headlight on, Anti Tampering, and a great deal more besides. Everyone who is considering taking part in a protest owes it to themselves to understand the issues to the best of their abilities. Right to Ride’s piece is therefore essential reading. You’ll find it here: http://www.righttoride.eu/?p=7567
