More Powered Two-Wheelers would ease congestion

10% more motorcycles used for commuting equal to 40% less traffic jams, concludes a study conducted by Transport & Mobility Leuven

If 10% of car drivers would give up their car for a motorcycle or a scooter, traffic congestion would be reduced by 40%, according to a study performed in one of Belgium’s most congested routes, typical of Europe's densest urban areas.

As the European Commission is seeking to promote a new culture of mobility aiming at reducing emissions and improving quality of life, part of the solution could come from Powered Two-Wheelers. While the recently published White Paper on Transport struggles to strike a balance between individual needs for mobility and the ambitious targets making transport more efficient, the study finds out that if 25% of all commuting trips were made on a PTW, congestion would be even a bad memory.

The study performed by Transport & Mobility Leuven and the University of Leuven, shows that the inclusion of motorized two-wheelers is definitely the most realistic, feasible and affordable answer to effectively address the problem of congestion and its negative effects on the daily lives of European commuters. Motorcycles and scooters represent a strong untapped potential to improve mobility, promising to deliver results that other options - such as cycling or public transport – most of the time are unable to match.

The investigation commissioned by FEBIAC, the Belgian car, motorcycle and bicycle distributors' association focuses on a case study, conducted on the section Leuven-Brussels on the E40 highway during rush hour, based on the traffic statistics of a regular work day during the month of May 2011. The results showed that "if on this trip and during this peak period, 10% of drivers swap their car against a motorcycle or scooter, this has obvious consequences on the extent of the traffic jam."

By extrapolating these observations to the entire road network, the study makes indicative conclusions: "15,000 hours lost in traffic per day could be avoided in Belgium, equivalent to a total time savings of approximately 350,000 € per day."

Shorter traffic jams that are reabsorbed faster have an environmental advantage too. However, no matter how important the benefits of this modal shift, road safety must be kept in mind. Appropriate motorcycle rider training and a safe behaviour adopted by all road users is a priority to reduce risk. The increased number of motorized two-wheelers on the roads has generated increased attention on the part of motorists accustomed to seeing more bikers, thus being more aware of their presence. This can only promote a greater mutual respect and understanding on the road.

Jacques Compagne, ACEM Secretary General: “The European Mobility Week was a good opportunity to look at solutions for our congestion problems. FEBIAC’s study demonstrates that Powered Two Wheelers are an extraordinary resource for easing jams, making traffic more fluid and generally improving the quality of life in our cities. Policy makers can learn a good deal from this paper.”

The full results of the study are available upon request.

-end-

ACEM, the Motorcycle Industry in Europe, is the professional body representing the interests and combined skills of 13 powered two wheelers (PTWs) manufacturers producing more than 30 brands, and 15 national associations out of 13 European countries, guaranteeing jobs to over 150.000 people. The aggregated turnover of the PTW sector (manufacturing, plus upstream and downstream activities) amounted to Euro 34 billion in 2006. Manufacturers alone account for Euro 7 billion. The members of ACEM account for 90% of the production and up to 80% of the European powered two-wheeler market. ACEM also represents main manufacturers of tricycles and quadricycles.
More information at www.acem.eu

FEBIAC is the Belgian Automobile and Cycle Association. For more than a century FEBIAC has been representing manufacturers and importers of road transport modes (cars, trucks, motorcycle, bicycle) and their suppliers in Belgium, at national, European and international levels. www.febiac.be

Ride to Work Day shows congestion busting benefits of scooters

Escalating fuel prices do not seem to have made British roads any less congested – according to a recent report from satellite navigation experts TomTom, seven of Europe's 20 most congested cities are located in the UK.

As a result scooters are enjoying a resurgence of popularity in Britain, with new registrations up by 16% compared to the same period last year.

In order to demonstrate the benefits of two-wheeled transport, Peugeot Scooters arranged a scooter and 'chauffeur' to collect a local councillor from the market town of Witney and transport him to a meeting in central Oxford, ranked 13th most congested city in Europe. This was one of many such events organised as part of International Ride to Work Day, when motorbike and scooter riders around the world show that life would be better if more people rode motorcycles and scooters every day, with time savings, less congestion and reduced travel costs.

Motorists would normally allow an hour to make the 10 mile journey into Oxford, particularly if they needed to find parking at their destination. The bus journey is scheduled to take 40 minutes, not including waiting times.

"We had a hassle free run into Oxford that lasted less than 25 minutes door-to-door, way quicker than either car or bus, and in plenty of time for the 9.30 start of my conference” says Duncan. “With free all-day motorcycle parking available nearby I can see why people are switching to scooters and motorcycles."

“Leaving Oxford just after 5 o'clock, we encountered stop-start traffic on the A40 on the return trip, but the scooter just glided past all the cars and lorries. It felt perfectly safe” he continues. “Even the heavy rain showers didn't affect us, with the scooter's bodywork deflecting the rain and leaving me almost totally dry. Not only was it much quicker than car or bus, but riding the scooter meant I wasn't stuck in a traffic jam wondering how long I'd be sitting there.”

Right van man launches but motorcycle industry fails to get on its bike

The Motorcycle Industry Association (MCI) states on its website that one of it three aims is "developing a position of strength derived from consumer and government demands for reduced emissions, congestion and costs". However, search their website and you'll find precious little information about the environment. This is a serious omission because (a) the industry claims environmental benefits for bikes and (b) anti-motorcycle groups (like the London Cycling Campaign and some local councils) attack motorcycling as damaging to the environment. Which is precisely why TWB published "How green s my machine" in December 2008.

The automotive industry has graped the significance of green credentials. On 26 February the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) launched a new guide - Right Van Man - which aims to give individual van buyers and drivers top tips on van choice and use to help cut running costs and CO2 emissions from light commercial vehicles. This is claimed to be the first stage in increasing public awareness on the issues that affect van CO2 emissions. Produced jointly with the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) and the Department for Transport, Environment this campaign is effectively endorsed by the Government. That's a result.

The motorcycle industry (as represented by the MCI) needs to act quickly to demonstrate its green credentials otherwise the only green motorcycles will be the lime green Kawasaki racing machines!