Europe Mobility Week: Motorcycles Are A Problem, Not A Solution |
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File under Opinion
Author: Mike Werner
Location: Normandy, France
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You got to hand it to them. Politicians will change their opinions as often as people change their underwear. I personally can't think of any profession that ignores what people think and want, and which makes decisions that have life time effects on so many people, with no real substance whatsoever, apart from maybe personal profit.
This week was Europe Mobility Week, a week designed by the European Commission to help promote easier and cleaner transportation within Europe. Excellent initiative you'd say when you hear that. But have a look at their promo video clip below. Or click here to see the Commission's solutions 
According to FEMA, motorcycles have been excluded from the mobility debates! They are seen as part of the problem, not the solution. Despite the fact that 100,000's of new motorcycle riders are joining the ranks every year, because city infrastructures are not able or capable to cope with the car volumes and public transportation is totally inadequate, motorcycles are still seen by the old guard as a "pest".
It doesn't seem to matter to these power-kings that motorcycles have been providing relieve to pollution and traffic congestion problems everywhere in Europe, not making them worse. It doesn't seem to matter either that without any doubt, it has been proven and proven, that motorcycles pollute less than cars, even hybrids (look at Spain's CO2 tax scheme, exempting 80% of all motorcycles).
There's something really wrong with this picture. Politicians, as we all know, can not be trusted with our lives, but still we give them powers to do exactly that. Politicians should have some intelligence, and see that motorcycles, if handled properly, can be the saving grace for Europe. Instead, they continue to turn a blind eye to the industry, and instead pander towards more money-rich industries, like cars and mass transportation manufacturers. That's where their money is.
Too bad it's costing lives.
European Mobility Week (2 minutes 48 seconds)
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