Blair backs BikeSafe

Prime Minister Tony Blair is pledging to take a fresh look at the way nationwide BikeSafe schemes are funded after MCN raised the issue with him at an audience at No. 10 on Thursday (March 31).

Find out how MCN is going to shake up the General Election in our next issue – out on Wednesday April 6.

The Government is on a mission to cut accidents on the road. But until now it has failed to put its money where its mouth is where BikeSafe is concerned. The police-backed initiative offers a mix of rider training and advice to make a real impact on safety for riders on Britain’s roads.

This is what we had to say to Mr Blair: “The Prime Minister will be aware of the good work carried out by the nationwide BikeSafe initiative. Hampshire police (for example) say BikeSafe was a major contributor to a fall in motorcycle fatalities in the county – from 33 in 2003 to 10 in 2004 (saving £24 million based on DfT costings).

“Yet none of the BikeSafe schemes around the country receive any Government funding and current rules prevent them being funded by Safety Camera Partnerships.

“Would the Prime Minister take this opportunity to change those rules and allow money collected by speed cameras to be spent supporting schemes such as Bikesafe, which so clearly have a positive impact on casualties.”

Mr Blair said: “This is a scheme that clearly makes a difference to reducing the number of casualties. You have drawn this to my attention and I think we should now look at ways of funding this – though not necessarily from the Safety Camera Partnership.”

The PM, 51, asked if it was true that many men turning 50 had the sudden desire to get on to two wheels.

MCN told him there was an element of truth in that – but asked when he had last been on a bike. Smiling, Mr Blair refused to be drawn, but he did say that he had ridden pillion.

Motorcyclenews.com Editor David Cushman and MCN Editor Marc Potter were invited to No. 10 as part of a British Society of Magazine Editors’ audience with the Prime Minister.

They met and chatted with Mr Blair in No. 10’s Pillared room before moving into the State Dining Room for the formal Q&A session.

Our question came as the result of a request to users of motorcyclenews.com for the one motorcycle-related question you really wanted the PM to answer.

The question we chose was from Mick Gear who runs the Hampshire BikeSafe initiative. MCN will now be following up on the PM’s interest to find out exactly how new funds for BikeSafe will be delivered.

For more on BikeSafe, CLICK HERE (external site)

The annual national BikeSafe event is on this weekend, see ‘fun for a sunny weekend’ in related articles, right.

Got your own question for the PM? CLICK HERE to submit one (external site)