UK Moped and Motorcycle Manufacturers Rally for Easier Access to Environmentally Friendly Transportation.

UK Moped and Motorcycle Manufacturers Rally for Easier Access to Environmentally Friendly Transportation.

• Pressure is mounting on the Government to simplify acquiring moped, motorcycle and other powered light vehicles licences as the Motorcycle Industry Association's (MCIA) A Licence to Net Zero campaign continues to gather momentum.
• MCIA’s Board, made up of the UK’s largest manufacturers, has written to the Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper MP, urging him to initiate a full-scale review of the existing licensing regime to make acquiring a licence less complex, less costly and more accessible to all, enabling a cleaner and greener future.
• Recent Government consultation on making e-bikes more powerful without the need for PPE, insurance, registration or training, threatening to further erode the well established and regulated moped and motorcycle market.
• A Licence to Net Zero and next steps on a potential licensing review will be discussed during a ministerial roundtable meeting on the 8th May with Guy Opperman MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Roads and Local Transport.

Tony Campbell, MCIA CEO, said "Our campaign is crucial for fostering a cleaner and greener future. It plays a significant role in realising the Government's future of mobility ambitions and its vision for achieving net zero emissions by 2050, helping to reclaim Britain’s place as a world leader in powered light mobility.”

A Licence to Net Zero seeks to encourage modal shift from less efficient, single occupancy cars and lightly laden vans, towards lighter, more energy and space efficient PLVs, unlocking the sector’s decarbonising potential.

Since its launch in October 2023, A Licence to Net Zero has gained broad, cross-party support in Parliament. Peers discussed the campaign during a House of Lords debate on the sector, and Conservative Party MP Craig Whitaker recently called for a debate on A Licence to Net Zero in Parliament.

The letter comes as the Government opens a consultation on bus, coach, and HGV driver licensing. MCIA advocates extending the reform approach to include mopeds, motorcycles, and the full range of PLVs. Furthermore, the Government has published a consultation on amending e-bike legislation

A Licence to Net Zero will be on the agenda at a Ministerial Roundtable on the 8th May with Guy Opperman MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Roads and Local Transport.

Tony Campbell emphasised, "Our proposals present an opportunity for the Government to demonstrate its support for L-Category manufacturers and users, while also advancing its own goals for future mobility and accelerating to net zero before the next general election. 

I look forward to the ministerial roundtable where I hope the Minister will outline a timeline for tangible steps forward on license reform in line with MCIA’s Joint Action Plan with the Government. The Minister must act swiftly to achieve concrete progress on licensing before the next General Election."

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

MCIA represents over 90% of the supply side of the industry; the manufacturers and importers of powered two wheelers (PTWs) and other PLVs (or L-Category vehicles), accessory and component suppliers and companies providing associated services. For more information about MCIA or to interview Tony Campbell, CEO, please call 07976 714094 or email s.waters@mcia.co.uk 

You can read MCIA’s A Licence To Net Zero proposals here.

Follow MCIA on X: @MCIATweets 

Follow MCIA on LinkedIn @MCIA UK

Examples and definitions of the different L-Category Vehicles (L1 to L7) can be found here.

For further information, please contact:  
Sean Waters, MCIA Public Affairs Manager, s.waters@mcia.co.uk

------------------

MCIA Board Letter to Secretary of State for Transport, Rt Hon Mark Harper MP

Dear Secretary of State,

Re: UK L-category industry calls for a full-sale review of the existing licensing regime as part of MCIA’s ‘A Licence to Net Zero’ campaign 

We, the members of the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) Board, urgently request a full-scale review of the existing L-Category licensing regime in alignment with our A Licence to Net Zero campaign. 

A Licence to Net Zero aims to streamline the process of acquiring a moped, motorcycle, or other L-Category licence, making it less complex, more affordable, and accessible to all. Our campaign is crucial for fostering a cleaner and greener future and plays a significant role in realising the Government's future of mobility ambitions and its vision for achieving net zero emissions by 2050, helping to reclaim Britain’s place as a world leader in light mobility. 

Improving access by reviewing the existing licensing regime is a key tenet of MCIA and the Government’s ‘Action Plan’, intended to identify the opportunities that need harnessing and the risks that need mitigating in order to unleash the full potential of our sector. MCIA has since published its Action Plan ‘Scorecard’, detailing where progress has been made and where the Government has fallen short on its commitments, including Action 6 to initiate a full-scale review of the licensing regime.

The current regime poses excessive barriers to accessing our vehicles due to its complexity, repetition, and cost. These barriers discourage potential users from transitioning from single-occupancy cars and lightly laden vans to more energy-efficient L-Category alternatives, hindering modal shift and emissions reductions. Moreover, despite the existing regulations, motorcycle-related fatalities have remained stagnant over the past decade.

Simplifying the licensing regime, eliminating unnecessary repetition, reducing costs, and enhancing road safety are paramount. By incentivising users to progress through the licensing stages, we can encourage upskilling and promote safer road usage.

We note the Government has opened a consultation on licence reform for bus and coach drivers to address driver shortages. In cases where a licensing regime hinders government objectives, it is imperative to explore safe reform of that regime. We would welcome the extension of this principle to our sector.

The impending announcement of end-of-sale dates for new non zero emission L-Category vehicles underscores the urgent need to modernise licensing requirements so we can meet these new dates. We commend the Government for its ambitious vision for the UK L-Category sector, as outlined in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan and Action Plan, however, the time to act is now to ensure the realisation of these goals, which will not only advance environmental sustainability but also create thousands of well-paid and high-skilled jobs throughout the country.

We are committed to collaborating with the Government to ensure the success of the Action Plan. We believe that initiating a full-scale review of the existing licensing regime, as outlined in Action 6 of the Plan, represents the easiest and most impactful step towards achieving our shared environmental objectives.

We have appreciated your department’s recognition of 'A Licence to Net Zero' to date, and we look forward to taking part in the Ministerial roundtable on the 8th May. Given the comprehensive nature of MCIA’s proposals and the urgent need for policies to ensure the sector’s stability and attractiveness during the decarbonisation process, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter further.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,