Dave Scott-Lee and Peter Seymour, Representatives Reading Motorcycle Action Group, gave a presentation on Motorcycles within Local Transport Plans.  They told the Sub-Committee that motorcycles should be part of the solution in terms of reducing congestion, reducing emissions and improving safety in towns.  Research had shown that if motorcycles and scooters were accepted as a legitimate transport mode and fully integrated into transport policy, all road users would benefit and if one car driver in ten chose to start using a motorcycle or scooter research had shown that congestion was reduced by 40% and overall emissions reduced by 6%.  In the Reading area 3.8% of registered vehicles were powered two wheelers (PTWs); currently only 1% of journeys were made by PTWs nationally in the UK.  PTWs and bicycles acted in a similar way to reduce congestion and pollution but over different distances and the National Policy Chiefs’ Council and Highways England advocated that a combined approach to travel on foot, by bicycle and PTW and public transport was only achievable by including PTWs in planning from the outset.  Other authorities had included motorcycles in their planning and there was strong evidence that as the number of motorcycles increased congestion decreased and the accident rate went down.  PTWs were not currently included in any local transport plan but potential benefits would not be realised without their inclusion.

A copy of the presentation slides was made available on the Reading Borough Council website.

Resolved -    That Dave Scott and Peter Seymour be thanked for their presentation.