London – Big thanks to those who took part in the survey – we have now closed the survey and are looking through all your replies in preparation for publication!
When a suggested charge of £12.50 per day for older (than the Euro 3 standard) motorcycles/scooters/mopeds traveling in a proposed Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in London, followed by a consultation regarding this daily charge, surfaced about a year ago, the motorcycling community started raising concerns and has been in turmoil since then, regarding this proposed ULEZ charge in London.
Some rider groups have suggested that the majority of the owners of these “older” motorcycles/scooters cannot afford newer models and will be forced to use public transport.
Others point out that whatever the rider’s circumstances are, the charges are discriminatory, unfair and unwarranted.
The motorcycling community has pointed out that these charges should not be introduced for a mode of transport that has the benefits of reducing congestion and which in terms of pollution, has a very small impact, especially compared to other private and public forms of transport.
It is now time to revisit the status of London riders and to look carefully at Who Rides London. The survey Who Rides London? aims to identify motorcycle, scooter and moped riders who typically commute to work or study in London, to determine the typical riders’ profile and the type of bikes/scooters/mopeds travelling in these areas.
The results will hopefully offer riders the opportunity to put forward a case for continued access to all areas in London for all Powered Two Wheelers (PTWs) and to highlight the importance that this form of transport offers.
Facts
It is important for riders to understand a few basic facts – which are:
- There were 125,200 motorcycles, scooters and mopeds registered in London in 2016 Motorcycle statistics tables, produced by Department for Transport, with an estimated 55,000 riding every day, which suggests that there is a very important place for motorised two wheeled transport in London.
- As recognised by Transport for London in a report published in March, 2016. Easy rider – Improving motorcycle safety on London’s roads
- In that respect, a paper by MAG UK, published in 2005 but still very relevant today, highlights the benefits of Powered Two Wheelers in Local Transport Plans. Powered Two Wheelers and Local Transport Plans – Ideas for inclusion by the Motorcycle Action Group
- The charges refer to motorcycles, scooters and mopeds which are older than the Euro 3 standard (2006/2007), the reason is that motorcycles older than this standard, pollute considerably in comparison. According to ACEM (the European Motorcycle Manufacturers’ Association), there has been a 94% reduction of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions, and a 50 % reduction of nitrogen emissions since the introduction of Euro standards in 1999. See here for more details: Riding in a 21st century environment – The motorcycle industry’s commitment to the environment
- The introduction of the ULEZ zones is not just in London, in fact these zones are being, or have been introduced in major capital cities throughout Europe, indeed, hundreds of European cities already have vehicle entry regulations, depending on vehicle emission standards, payment or vehicle type. Some cities ban certain vehicles, others allow entry of vehicles in LEZs during certain periods during the day/night, while others such as London, charge. For more details see here: urbanaccessregulations.eu
- The last study to profile the typical London rider was done by Transport for London through the University of Leeds back in 2004. The study using postcode data, was divided into 112 motorcyclists who resided in Greater London and 867 who lived elsewhere. The data suggested that London motorcyclists are more likely to be younger and single, with full-time jobs earning a higher income. They are more likely to own machines under 250cc, compared to the rest of the sample, and much more likely to own scooters. See here: Differences Between London Motorcyclists And Those From The Rest Of The UK That study is now 14 years old and times change. Also the sample size was limited to only 112 riders.
This study is being carried out by Dr Elaine Hardy, an independent research analyst with considerable experience of motorcycle related research topics, as well as joint contributor to the motorcycle blog Motorcycle Minds. She has no affiliation to any rider group or organisation or authority.
Any results will be based on the evidence provided by riders in the survey and will be published online, on Twitter and Facebook for all to access.
Big thanks to those who took part in the survey – we have now closed the survey and are looking through all your replies in preparation for publication!
Original Source – Investigative Research
Who Rides London? Big thanks to those who took part in the survey – we have now closed the survey and are looking through all your replies in preparation for publication!
However…. A little foray into the data received from the survey.
A comparison of earnings and year of manufacture throws up some (maybe not so) unexpected results.
Of the not so well off i.e. those earning £30k or less, 44% (n.54/124) ride pre Euro 3 motorcycles compared to 54% (n.67/124) of those earning from £30k to over £50k, who also choose to ride pre Euro 3 bikes.
Whereas 32% (n.60/209)of those earning £30k or less, ride Euro 3 (2007 onwards) compared to 68% or n.141/209 of those earning more than £30k to over £50k.
Overall, there were n.60/333 (34%) respondents who stated that they earned £30k or less compared to n.102/333 (63%) whose earnings were from £30k to over £50k.
Only 3% (n.11/333) indicated that they received pensions, student loans or were unemployed (one stated “other”).
As you are all aware, we have posted a survey “Who Rides London” which has been shared on a number of pages and websites.
We are very grateful because the feedback – so far – has been extremely helpful and positive. We are also grateful to our friends and supporters for their faith of our work and commitment.
Thank you.
At the end of the survey – we will publish the results and our objective is to present facts and opinions to ensure that motorcycling has a positive role in London transport. Thanks to everybody for your support.
Trevor and Elaine
Survey asks ‘Who Rides London?’ – 2WheelsLondon.com
Even more thanks this time to 2WheelsLondon.com for publicising the survey.
Initial findings
One of the main issues highlighted to date by respondents is the important role PTWs can play in getting to work without wasting ‘hours on public transport’. In one case, a nurse on the night shift said she has a choice of three buses taking two and half hours, or a 20 minute ride.
Fear of having their PTW stolen leads to a preference among riders to use older machines. In 2016, 125,200 bikes/ scooters/mopeds were registered in London – and 11% of these were stolen in the same year.
Riders being excluded from using bus lanes in some boroughs has been highlighted as a safety issue by some respondents.
Another concern is that Cycle Superhighways are leading to narrower roads, giving riders have less room to manoeuvre while trying to filter in heavy traffic.
Full Article – Survey asks ‘Who Rides London?’ – 2WheelsLondon.com
Survey asks ‘Who Rides London?’ – London Road Safety Council
More thanks – this time to the London Road Safety Council.
The survey has been launched in response to the new Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) which comes into force on 8 April 2019, and will see riders whose bikes fail to meet certain emission standards paying an extra £12.50 per day to ride in Central London.
The ULEZ will cover the same area as the current Congestion Charging Zone (CCZ) – and the charge will be in addition to the CCZ and the Low Emission Zone charge.
The ULEZ standards are: Euro 3 for motorcycles, mopeds, motorised tricycles and quadricycles (L category).
Motorcycling stakeholders are arguing that these charges should not be introduced for a mode of transport which reduces congestion and has a very small impact on pollution compared to other forms of transport.
Full Article – Who Rides London?’ – London Road Safety Council
Those helping to get the Who Rides London? survey out there have now been joined by Survival Skills:
Survival Skills – *** NEWS *** Help out with a survey
If you ride in London, you’ll no doubt have heard about the proposals to include motorcycles in the ‘ultra-low emissions’ scheme which is set to come into force in the not-too-distant future.
What that would mean is that any bike that isn’t compliant with current emissions standards will have to pay the same ‘admission charge’ to the ULEZ as any other vehicle. For example both my 52 plate Hornet and my modern classic CB250RSA would be subject to the charge.
What doesn’t seem to be available is any data on just how many older machines are actually in use in London.
My thoughts are that it’s more than most riders think. Whilst commuters may spend a lot of time getting from A to B (even on a bike) they often don’t clock up many miles doing so.
So it’s entirely possible that many commuters on bikes – who, let us not forget, take up less road real estate and ease the flow of other traffic – would be hit hard by the proposed system.
The lack of solid information is the reason for this survey. If you live, work or simply ride across central London, take a moment to fill it out. You’ll be helping provide evidence that may help to get this ruling overturned.
Survival Skills – On Facebook
Riders Digest
More thanks due – this time to the Riders Digest – who say – “If you ride a bike – and in particular if you ride one in London – please take the time out to complete this Right To Ride survey.
Even if you don’t ride in London and have no intention of doing so, you must be aware that when there’s a new initiative in one area, which provides the authority with a ‘revenue stream’, then you can be pretty confident that others will be quick to follow suit.”
Riders Digest – On Facebook
Who rides London? Survey to profile two-wheeler use in the capital
Thanks now to Visordown for highlighting the Who Rides London? survey.
AS a motorcyclist in London, I see everyday just how important two-wheelers are in reducing congestion and getting from A to B.
Unfortunately, it appears Sadiq Khan doesn’t realise this, as he has omitted powered two-wheelers (PTWs) in the latest London Transport Strategy, a move that has enraged bikers across the capital.
So in an effort to educate the Mayor, a researcher has created a survey to investigate just how important powered motorbikes and scooters are within the emission zone.
Dr Elaine Hardy has created the online survey, called ‘Who Rides London?’, in order to “identify motorcycle, scooter and moped riders who typically commute to work in the proposed ULEZ zones of London”.
She hopes to “find out the profile of the riders and the type of powered two wheelers (bikes/scooters/mopeds) travelling in these areas”.
The results will then be used to highlight the importance of PTWs and “put forward a case for continued access to all areas in London”.
Original Source – Visordown – Who rides London? Survey to profile two-wheeler use in the capital
Ride in London? The motorcycle community needs your help
The British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) is the first rider organisation and group to help with the – Who Rides London? – survey, not forgetting those individual riders on social media who have already linked to the survey.
Update – Thanks to the Motorcycle Theft Protest Community for linking to the survey and posting on their closed group page The UK Motorcycle Theft Protest
The BMF say – Based on the concerning news that London’s Transport Strategy will not consider the benefits of motorcycles, researcher Dr Elaine Hardy has created a survey to investigate just how important powered two-wheelers (PTWs) are to London.
The survey, called Who Rides London?, intends to create a profile of “motorcycle, scooter and moped riders who typically commute to work in the proposed ULEZ zones of London”.
The results will then be used to emphasise the importance of PTWs and “put forward a case for continued access to all areas in London”.
If you ever ride in London, your contribution could be a vital part of the results, and make a difference to how motorcycles can be used in London. Take part in the survey here.
Original Source – Ride in London? The motorcycle community needs your help