04/09/2003 Immediate Release
PRESS RELEASE :
13/10/03 Immediate Release
Bikers to Protest against Government Policies
MAG Ireland is calling on all motorcyclists, scooterists and moped users to
support calls for effective and immediate reform of the motorcycle insurance
industry and positive change to the current licensing and testing system for
motorcycle riders. A demonstration is to take place on Saturday, November 1st
to highlight these and other issues concerning riders such as access to Bus
lanes, Toll charges for motorcycles, road safety and motorcycle theft. Bikers
will meet at Mountjoy Square and travel en masse to the Department of Transport
to hand in a petition calling for parity of treatment of motorcyclists with
other road users.
"The reforms suggested in the Motor Insurance Advisory Board and by the
Joint Committee on Enterprise and Small Business have been slow to be implemented
and the meantime, with only two companies offering motorcycle insurance in this
country and only one company insuring the under-21 age group, it is not unusual
for young riders to be asked to pay premiums of several thousand Euro for Third
party cover on small capacity machines. Motorcyclists are effectively being
priced off the road", said MAG Ireland Campaigns Officer Karen Kiely. "Motorcycle,
scooter and moped riders are angry that despite being subjected to increasingly
restrictive licensing regulations and even though 75% of accidents involving
another vehicle and a motorcycle are caused by the other vehicle, the virtual
monopoly situation which currently exists is allowed to continue. Government
road safety policy should not be formed by the financial interests of private
enterprise, which is precisely what happened when Minister Brennan recently
responded to Hibernian Insurance’s calls for legislative changes in the
face of claimed financial losses in the motorcycle insurance sector.
"Seamus Brennan’s recent proposals for compulsory basic training (CBT)
for motorcyclists only are yet another example of the government’s piecemeal
and ill-informed approach to road safety. Education and training is the key
to reducing Ireland’s inordinately high accident rates, but to restrict
the requirement for training to one group of road users is ineffectual and will
very little to improve safety on our roads. With motorcyclists already subjected
to restrictions in terms of the power of the machines they can ride for two
years after passing their test, this would effectively mean that the most highly
trained road users would also have the most restrictive licensing requirements.
MAG Ireland believes that training for all road users together with a Direct
Access training and testing route to allow candidates who have taken further
training to ride higher powered machines will greatly contribute to improving
safety among motorcyclists and for all road users.
"An integrated road safety strategy is urgently required and should be
developed in consultation with motorcyclists rather than imposing haphazard
and poorly targeted legislation on these road users. MAG Ireland, as the representative
body for Ireland’s 30,000-plus motorcycle, scooter and moped riders has
repeatedly requested to be allowed a seat on the National Safety Council alongside
Hibernian Insurance and the AA without success. Whilst MAG Ireland welcomes
the Motorists and Motorcyclists – Sharing the Road Safely leaflet issued
by the National Safety Council, funding must be made available for a targetted
television campaign to increase awareness of motorcyclists among car and lorry
drivers. Drink Driving campaigns are at present exclusively aimed at car drivers
and are usually screened in the run up to Christmas, a time when winter weather
means fewer motorcyclists are on the road.
"Successive governments have chosen to ignore the potential of increased
use of motorcycles and scooters as a solution to traffic gridlock in Ireland’s
cities and towns and continue to deny access to Bus lanes for this vulnerable
group of road users. Dublin Corporation, the Gardai and the insurance industry
all support MAG Ireland’s view that allowing motorcycles access to bus
lanes would both ease congestion and reduce accidents. In the U.K. motorcycles
and scooters have been allowed into bus lanes with positive results in terms
of easing congestion and increasing safety."
Riders concerned about these and other issues affecting them should meet at
Mountjoy Square, 1pm November 1st . For further information on MAG Ireland’s
work on behalf of motorcyclists, scooterists and moped users and to sign the
Petition online, visit www.magireland.org.
ENDS
Background:
MAG Ireland (Irish Motorcyclist's Action Group) was set up in 1985 and represents
the interests of Ireland's 40,000 motorcyclists, scooterists and moped users.
Areas tackled by MAG Ireland include road safety, training, road conditions,
technical harmonisation, tax issues, consumer issues affecting riders, licencing
and insurance.
MAG Ireland offers a wide range of benefits to its membership of over four thousand
riders including discounts at many retail outlets and events, a subscription
to Ireland's
largest circulation motorcyclist magazine, a health insurance scheme and information service.
For further information contact
Karen Kiely
National Campaigns Officer
+ 353 1 453 07 97
campaigns@magireland.org
MAG Ireland
1b Ring Terrace
Inchicore
Dublin 8
Republic of Ireland