Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport) on 18 March (17105), what discussions have taken place between the Department for Transport and the Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency regarding the Motorcycle Industry Association’s 'A Licence to Net Zero' campaign.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is committed to reviewing all aspects of motorcycle training and testing. It is working with key industry representatives, including the Motorcycle Industry Association, to plan the next roundtable meeting scheduled for 8 May 2024. The roundtable meeting will explore reforms to motorcycle training and testing, and licensing for L category vehicles as set out in the ‘A Net Licence to Zero’ action plan.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport) on 18 March (HC17308), whether the 8 May round table will discuss (1) the timeline for implementation of L-Category licence reform or (2) the parliamentary process for L-Category licensing.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are continuing to review these proposals, and will respond in due course. They will be covered at the proposed meeting.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport) on 18 March (HC17308), whether they will publish a response to the Motorcycle Industry Association's "A Net Licence to Zero" proposals ahead of the scheduled roundtable.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are continuing to review these proposals, and will respond in due course. They will be covered at the proposed meeting.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport) on 12 February (12929), when they will publish the chapter on zero emission powered light vehicles for the Local Authority Transport Decarbonisation Toolkit.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The guidance for Local Authorities on zero emission powered light vehicles is being finalised and is expected to be published shortly.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport) on 18 March (HC17308), what assessment they have made of the Motorcycle Industry Association’s proposals to reform compulsory basic training.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is committed to reviewing all aspects of motorcycle training and testing, and is in the process of assessing the Motorcycle Industry Association’s proposals to reform compulsory basic training (CBT).
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Motorcycle Industry Association and Zemo Partnership report Realising the Full Potential of Zero Emission Powered Light Vehicles: A Joint Action Plan for Government and Industry, published in February 2022, what steps they are taking to simplify the licensing regime for mopeds and motorcycles.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government welcomes and is open to discussing ideas for reform of the existing licensing regime for powered light vehicles known as L category vehicles where they do not compromise safety standards.
While there are not currently any plans to reform L category licenses, Ministers and officials have met with motorcycle stakeholder representatives to listen to and discuss various motorcycle initiatives, including ideas for reform. The Minister for Road Transport will meet with the MCIA and other motorcycle stakeholders in a roundtable format on 8 May to this and other issues.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposals to simplify the licensing regime for powered light vehicles contained in the Motorcycle Industry Association report A Licence to Net Zero: Unleashing Our Potential, License Reform Essential: L-Category Licensing Reform Proposals, published in October 2023.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government welcomes and is open to discussing ideas for reform of the existing licensing regime for powered light vehicles known as L category vehicles where they do not compromise safety standards.
While there are not currently any plans to reform L category licenses, Ministers and officials have met with motorcycle stakeholder representatives to listen to and discuss various motorcycle initiatives, including ideas for reform. The Minister for Road Transport will meet with the MCIA and other motorcycle stakeholders in a roundtable format on 8 May to this and other issues.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will announce a timeline for a full-scale licensing review for mopeds, motorcycles and other powered light vehicles, and if so when, .
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government welcomes and is open to discussing ideas for reform of the existing licensing regime for powered light vehicles known as L category vehicles where they do not compromise safety standards.
While there are not currently any plans to reform L category licenses, Ministers and officials have met with motorcycle stakeholder representatives to listen to and discuss various motorcycle initiatives, including ideas for reform. The Minister for Road Transport will meet with the MCIA and other motorcycle stakeholders in a roundtable format on 8 May to this and other issues.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the causes of motorcyclist fatalities.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
DfT reported road casualty statistics reports numbers of personal injury road traffic collisions in Great Britain that were reported to the police using the STATS19 reporting system.
STATS19 does not record the causes of collisions. However, attending police officers can record up to six factors that they believe contributed to collisions as part of the STATS19 dataset. Officers do not need to carry out a full investigation of the collision before allocating factors, usually using professional judgement about what they can see at the scene.
The statistics for the top five contributory factors assigned to road collisions involving motorcyclist fatalities is set out in the table below.
Table: Top 5 contributory factors attributed in reported road collision involving motorcyclist fatalities in Great Britain, 2022
Contributory factor reported in collision | 2022 motorcyclist fatalities |
Driver/Rider failed to look properly | 93 |
Driver/Rider careless, reckless or in a hurry | 80 |
Exceeding speed limit | 78 |
Loss of control | 76 |
Driver/Rider failed to judge other person`s path or speed | 69 |
The safety of vulnerable road users is a priority for the Government. For road users who choose to travel by motorcycle, the Department remains committed to ensuring that they are equipped with the specialist skills necessary to stay safe on the road. In 2019, we published the Road Safety Statement, which includes a range of specific actions and research initiatives for motorcycles, designed to understand the risks and increase protection and improve training, education and safety advice.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the prevalence of motorcyclists failing to wear helmets, and its impact on motorcyclist fatalities.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport does not hold this data.