By Jordan Gibbons

Motorcycle News Online – 14 May 2020

MCN has spoken to Dr Julian Lewis, the MP who asked why more wasn't being done to encourage motorcycle use as an alternative to public transport during the Coronavirus pandemic. 

"We’re being advised to find alternative methods to travelling on public transport. For those of us who don’t feel quite up to the task of cycling significant distances, the motorbike both from the parking and manoeuvrability point of view is an obvious asset.

"What I wanted [Grant Shapps] to do was try and encourage people a bit, as riding a motorcycle really is something that people could do while there is a restriction on public transport, without causing the congestion of cars. The government have been reasonably flexible, with putting off MoT dates for example, and they have been giving extra opportunities to cyclists.

"He was generally supportive, but I was rather hoping for a little bit more in terms of specific suggestions. He did say it was an enormously important way of getting around, even with a nod to the green lobby and electric bikes, but I think they ought be to be a bit more flexible both with where they can go but also where they can park. I would have thought that maybe allowing motorcyclists to use bus lanes wouldn’t be a bad idea.

"If they are expecting people to try to reduce their use of public transport, they really need to be focusing on incentives for people to get on bikes and not just constantly talking about cyclists. I think the government should really put their thinking caps on and see what they can do to encourage people to use the motorcycle as a sort of happy medium. If and when parliament comes back, I propose to get my BMW K75 out of the garage and start using it."

• Help petition for bikes to be on the Government's Covid-19 public transport replacement agenda here.