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Motorcycle rider licensing must be part of our EU renegotiation


The issue of rider licensing is still causing alarm among motorcyclists. I have been contacted by riders and businesses who are concerned about the complications that the European Union has introduced to the British motorcycle licence through unwelcome directives. This issue is important because as well as being a great leisure and tourism activity, more and more people are using bikes to get to work as a cheaper form of transport than trains or buses, plus of course motorcycles are […]

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Taxes, currency debasement and the OFT report on pump prices


Via the Office of Fair Trading, Rises in pump prices for petrol and diesel over the last 10 years have been caused largely by higher crude oil prices and increases in tax and duty and not a lack of competition, an OFT report has found. and, emphasis mine, The OFT found that, pre-tax, the UK has some of the cheapest road fuel prices in Europe. In the 10 years between 2003 and 2012 pump prices increased from 76 pence per […]

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M40 noise – no wonder people worry about HS2


Beth and I had the opportunity for an early walk this morning from West Wycombe to Lane End. The Chilterns were stunning, but we were reminded how intrusive M40 noise can be. This video gives an indication. The M40 Chiltern Environmental Group represent residents on this issue. The M40 emerged from our bypass so, unfortunately, it runs too close to too many homes. I’m reminded to pick the issue up once again and that, with this experience, it’s no wonder people worry […]

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Ride to Work day on Monday began a great week for motorcycling, but London’s too congested


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Monday was Ride to Work Day: On Ride To Work Day, motorbike and scooter riders around the world show just how enjoyable their daily commute is. By riding to work we demonstrate that life would be better if more people rode motorcycles and scooters every day, with time savings, less congestion and reduced travel costs. I was glad to ride to work, as I often do. My commute is M40, M25, M4/A4 and along the embankment. In the morning, it’s […]

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Crony capitalism is so entrenched, we scarcely even spot it


The Transport Committee met today for an evidence session on low carbon vehicles. It illustrated that crony capitalism is now not merely entrenched and passed over, but borne out of the good intentions of a global regulatory elite. In the first session, we learned that “consumer demand is lagging policy”, which I translated as “people don’t want to buy these expensive vehicles” (I’ll link to the transcript later). We learned that electric vehicles are expensive and impractical: £30,000 for a […]

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A petition to ensure that biker related questions are compulsory in the driving theory test


Via Motorcyclists Matter – to ensure that biker related questions are compulsory in the driving theory test – e-petitions: In order to raise awareness of motorcyclists on Britain’s roads, Bennetts, the UK’s No.1 Bike Insurance Specialist, is campaigning to ensure biker related questions are made compulsory in the driving theory test – who despite accounting for just 1% of road traffic, fall victim to over a fifth of all fatalities on the roads. Did you know that motorists can currently pass […]

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Wycombe Hospital CEO responds to my bus trip to Stoke Mandeville


After my bus trip from High Wycombe to Stoke Mandeville hospital, I wrote to Anne Eden, Chief Executive of Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, outlining my reflections on the journey. Here are elements of Ms. Eden’s reply: Improving the transport infrastructure within the county requires cooperation between many organisations not least the County Council, Highways Agency and local commercial providers and we are working closely with all three partners to improve access to our hospitals regardless of the Better Healthcare in […]

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Exploring the bus route from High Wycombe to Stoke Mandeville hospital


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This morning, I took the number 300 from High Wycombe bus station to Stoke Mandeville hospital, as if for a 10 am outpatient’s appointment or a visit to an inpatient. Via the Arriva site: Stoke Mandeville Hospital is now easily reached by two services making it easy to reach for meetings, work or appointments. Well, Arriva put on a good bus, but the experience at Stoke Mandeville left a lot to be desired. Add a bus journey in High Wycombe […]

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Coping with heavy snow (or why I am a winter tyre bore)


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The Royal Air Force used to send me to Bardufoss in Arctic Norway, in winter. I learned there that, if you want to drive on snow, use winter tyres and, if you want to drive on ice, have studs in them. The point was hammered home when we went to Ørland near Trondheim, south of the Arctic Circle, for a month from mid-September. We drove there in British cars, using the ferry from Newcastle to Bergen, and of course they were […]

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Transport Committee – UK Parliament


I was delighted this evening to be elected by colleagues to serve on Parliament’s Transport Committee: The Transport Committee is charged by the House of Commons with scrutiny of the Department for Transport. Its formal remit was to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for Transport and its associated public bodies. The Committee’s powers are the same as those for other departmental select committees as set out in Standing Order No.152: principally, to send for persons, papers and […]

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