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FIM Position: MOTORCYCLING AND MOBILITY
Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
In general By 2050 82% of EU citizens will live in urban areas. Not only will the existing urban areas be more crowded, they will also be extended and existing urban areas will merge and form conurbations. The current focus of the European mobility strategies is on public transport, cycling and walking. However, public transport will never reach everywhere in an urban area and cycling and walking are only good for limited distances. There will always be a need for individual motorised personal transport. We foresee a growing role for powered two-wheelers, especially motorcycles, instead of cars. - Motorcycles can be cheaper to buy, easier to maintain and use less fuel than most combustion engine cars and trucks. Therefore, motorcycles are often the only affordable form of personal motorized transport for many people, both in developed and in emerging economies, and in both urban and rural areas. Motorcycles are an important - if not the only - means of personal motorized transport for many people commuting to work, thus escaping social exclusion.
- Motorcycles can go to places where other vehicles can only go with greater difficulty. This makes motorcycles important vehicles for the police, medical organisations, health care professionals and other care workers.
- Motorcycles provide the greatest flexibility of all means of personal transport, because:
- they are smaller than cars, so there is less congestion and less need for parking space
- they have a larger range than bicycles or e-bikes
- as a means of personal transport, motorcycles provide personal freedom to take you where you want to go, when you want to do so.
- Because of their size and weight motorcycles use less fuel, have fewer emissions and are less affected by congestion. Motorcycles use less room and therefore need less parking space, as a result motorcyclists save time and distance. Motorcycles can be easier and cheaper to electrify than cars.
How can motorcycles contribute to improved mobility? - By allowing motorcycles to use bus lanes where possible
- Acceptance of filtering through slow moving traffic and advanced stop lines for bicycles and powered two-wheelers
- Accept parking of motorcycles on pavements if not hindering pedestrians and cyclists
- Privileged inner city access for powered two-wheelers
- Tax incentive schemes
- Awareness campaigns highlighting the advantages of powered two-wheelers
- Greener motorcycles less energy consuming internal combustion engines, fuel cell powered engines, battery powered electric engines
- Make motorcycling safer by use of appropriate intelligent transport systems (ITS), improved rider training, safer infrastructure and better awareness by other road users.
- Motorcyclists pay road tax like all other owners of vehicles. They consider it unjustifiable to be excluded where other road users are not.
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