I hope you’ve all managed to have a great Christmas.
This time of year is usually a quiet time for MAG with the lack of rallies and cold weather (looking out of the window it’s white over with snow) but this year it seems even quieter than usual and I’m sure I’m not the only one looking forward to the lifting of restrictions and a return to normality.
All local councils are still not allowing face to face meetings, which means that we’re restricted to email or zoom (of which I refuse to participate in) as they continue to promote cycling by putting yet more cycle lanes in at the expense of all other road users.
Leeds City Council, which have always had an anti motorcycle stance, have actually admitted this with the publication of an intended consultation to have its own transport policy.
The information given out includes some graphics of actual transport mode usage and projected transport mode usage in five years time. This states that Leeds City Council want to see a REDUCTION in motorcycle usage within the city!
It also begs the question of why Leeds City Council needs its own transport policy when only two years ago the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (of which LCC is one of five councils who are members) published its own 20 year transport policy for the whole of the county.
All of the five councils have all chosen to be very selective in implementing the 20 year transport strategy and this has prompted an email campaign to all Leeds and Bradford MP’s to try to push the councils to implement the WYCA transport policy rather than picking and choosing the bits that suit their own agendas and also question the point of actually having a combined authority if Councils are going to follow their own agendas anyway. It currently seems to be a very expensive extra layer of bureaucracy which is really not needed.
I’ve included, below, the basic text of the email campaign that went out to all Leeds and Bradford MAG members (some of who have forwarded them to their MP’s) in case any other members wish to email their own MP’s. This is an area that has to be done by individual members as MP’s won’t respond without the constituents contact details, so we become reliant on you, the members, for any success with MP’s. There are two separate texts as Bradford aren’t currently wanting to produce their own transport policy. Please feel free to plagiarise the emails below and contact your own MP on behalf of MAG.
Bradford MP email
Your name and address
Dear……..insert your local MP’s name
As a concerned resident of Bradford and a member of the Motorcycle Action Group, I’m writing to you to both ask for your opinion and to ask questions of Bradford City Council with regard to their transport policy.
During the past two years representatives of the Motorcycle Action Group have been in discussions with all the local West Yorkshire councils including Bradford, to try to get them to implement the recommendations of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority 20 year transport strategy.
The main recommendation from our point of view, is that after six years of campaigning, the WYCA recommended that all local councils allow motorcycles to use “with flow” bus lanes where practical.
We, naively thought that as part of the WYCA, all five councils would implement the recommendations but it seems that each council is free to pick and choose the parts it sees fit to use.
This raises the question that if the WYCA has spent millions of pounds of public money to produce a twenty year transport plan that the five member councils don’t have to follow, what is the point of this seemingly extra level of bureaucracy?
Also, though Bradford City Council have been better than others in implementing positive motorcycle related schemes, the proliferation of both cycle lanes and new bus lanes within Bradford upon the lifting of lockdown restrictions has made it even more imperative that motorcycles are allowed to use bus lanes, as currently motorcyclists are being compressed by the narrowing of normal carriageways to facilitate these extra lanes.
The millions spent by local councils in the last six months has been aimed squarely at cycling and walking when all three modes of propulsion are classed as vulnerable road users by the national government, the marginalisation of one form is clearly discriminatory.
I would appreciate if you could ask the council officers at Bradford City Council, on my behalf, why they haven’t implemented the WYCA recommendations from their 20 year transport strategy to allow motorcycles to use “with flow” bus lanes.
Yours faithfully
Your name here
Leeds MP Email
Your name and address
Dear……..insert your local MP’s name
As a concerned resident of Leeds and a member of the Motorcycle Action Group, I’m writing to you to both ask for your opinion and query the decisions of Leeds City Council to go to the enormous expense of producing their own transport strategy consultation, when the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, of which Leeds City Council is a member, published its own 20 year transport strategy just two years ago.
During the past two years representatives of the Motorcycle Action Group have been in discussions with all the local West Yorkshire councils including Leeds, to try to get them to implement the recommendations of the WYCA 20 year transport strategy.
The main recommendation from our point of view, is that after six years of campaigning, the WYCA recommended that all local councils allow motorcycles to use “with flow” bus lanes where practical.
We, naively thought that as part of the WYCA, all five councils would implement the recommendations but it seems that each council is free to pick and choose the parts it sees fit to use.
This raises the question that if the WYCA has spent millions of pounds of public money to produce a twenty year transport plan that the five member councils don’t have to follow, what is the point of this seemingly extra level of bureaucracy?
It also raises the question that if the WYCA is a legitimately necessary organisation, should Leeds City Council be spending millions of pounds of taxpayers money on its own, separate transport strategy?
Finally, we were dismayed by the Councils lack of acknowledgement, after the lifting of lockdown restrictions, that motorcycling can be a massive benefit to the local transport strategy by encouraging social distancing, producing less pollution, taking up less road and parking space and isn’t discriminatory towards those less able bodied members of society, who would be unable to cycle in our hilly city.
The millions spent by local councils in the last six months has been aimed squarely at cycling and walking whilst compressing road space for motorcycles when all three are classed as vulnerable road users by the national government, which is clearly discriminatory.
The latest “Connecting Leeds” document seems to be advocating and encouraging the reduction in motorcycle and scooter users within the city. Details here https://news.leeds.gov.uk/news/new-connecting-leeds-transport-strategy-for-everyone-to-enjoy-healthy-affordable-low-carbon-travel-choices
Discussions with Leeds City Council seem to consistently lead to wild goose chases, false promises and stalling tactics that at best look like incompetence and at worst, outright discrimination against motorcyclists.
I’d appreciate you raising these questions on my behalf and I’d also be interested to hear your thoughts on the matters raised in this email.
Yours faithfully
Insert your name here
Over in Kirklees and Calderdale, Huddersfield political rep, Tom Lonsdale, has been beavering away making contacts within both councils to forward the MAG message. Calderdale have historically been open to our advances but Kirklees has been more akin to Leeds in its reluctance to help motorcyclists.
Tom is currently spearheading a local campaign to look into the lit keep left bollards that proliferate around Huddersfield and Halifax, that are often unlit and have potential to cause serious injuries if struck by a motorcycle.
I have been contacted by a member from York who is interested in restarting York MAG along with a few friends. This is fantastic news as we’ve had no group in North Yorkshire since the passing of Stuart, the Scarborough rep, several years ago. Obviously we can’t ratify the new group with an AGM as all AGMs are suspended until restrictions are lifted, but we have set up a new Facebook group to start the ball rolling and we’ll advertise the AGM as soon as it’s possible. Follow and connect with York MAG on Facebook for the time being.
Nationally things are still quiet with no face to face meetings or events. MAG finances are obviously becoming stretched after a year without any fundraisers so Yorkshire MAG dipped into our bank account and sent central office a donation of £3000.
One thing MAG has been doing both nationally and locally is pointing out to those the decision makers that motorcycles are a fantastic way of social distancing and should be encouraged and promoted as a valid form of transport in these difficult times.
The MAG NC had a virtual meeting where national issues and campaigns were discussed.
Oxford announced a “red zone” no emission zone which will now be extended.
MAG has, after an initial plea from South Yorkshire MAG, got into dialogue with Highways England regarding “smart motorways”. They have confirmed that they will halt the rollout of “dynamic lanes” which means no more use of hard shoulders going forward but current “dynamic lanes” will stay in use – for now.
The ChIPT (Choice In Personal Transport) campaign, as voted on by members at last years AGC, has been moving forward with various mentions in national media outlets and Howard Cox debating with a senior Green Party member.
It must be pointed out that motorcycles were not included in the move to ban the sale petrol vehicles from 2030.
Here is the link to the current “Network” which will keep you informed with MAG happenings around the country. https://wiki.mag-uk.org/images/8/86/Network_2020-12.pdf
None of the usual Christmas parties went ahead but Leeds and Bradford MAG managed to have a Christmas toy collection which we duly delivered to Leeds Children’s Charity at Lineham Farm. This was gratefully received by them as the local kids have been hit very hard by the pandemic.
If you have any ideas for events and fundraisers or if you like to see your local group do something different, get in touch with either me or your local rep. MAG is member led and without your input and participation it will stagnate.
Due to the current situation events are sparse in this newsletter. Hopefully normal service will resume very soon.
If you want to get more involved at a local level (and to really get the most out of your MAG membership, I strongly recommend that you do) here are the meeting details of the five Yorkshire MAG groups – though we are looking to expand with more groups so if you haven’t got one close by and fancy getting together with like minded bikers, get in touch with me at manny@mag-uk.org
We’re very lucky in having some very strong groups in Yorkshire, but we need the members to join in, so pop along to your local meeting and help to make a difference
Unfortunately all local meetings have been suspended again due to restrictions but informal meet ups are being held where possible. If you fancy a pint and a natter (local restrictions may apply) keep an eye on your emails or Facebook.
- East Yorkshire MAG meet on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays from 8pm at The Forresters Arms HU17 0PR
- Huddersfield MAG meet every Wednesday from 8.30pm at The Fieldhead HD3 4FB
- Leeds and Bradford MAG meet every 1st Tuesday and 3rd Thursday from 8pm at The Royal Hotel LS28 8PR
- South Yorkshire MAG meet every Thursday at The Market, 2 Wentworth Rd, Elsecar, Barnsley S74 8EP from 7pm
- Wakefield MAG meet every Tuesday from 8.30 at The Thatched House, 434 Aberford Road, Stanley, Wakefield, WF3 4AA
Finally both myself and Andy Foody have made the decision to step down as Yorkshire MAG Rep and Yorkshire MAG vice Rep at the next AGM (though currently all AGMs nationally have been suspended) We’ve had a great three years of doing the job but now seems a good time to step down with the changing political landscape bringing lots of fresh challenges. It’s vitally important that Yorkshire MAG has a presence on the National Committee as we are the biggest donators of funds due to the three Yorkshire rallies. If you’ve ever had an urge to get involved, now is your chance.
I’d like to wish all Yorkshire MAG members a very happy new year and hope that 2021 will bring back some normality after a horrible 2020.
Keep safe
Manny (Yorkshire MAG rep)
