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The BMF’s recent AGM was held in Hereford and
3 delegates from TOMCC attended. The recriminations of recent years seem to have
been put behind us.
Several posts were up for election, with one candidate for each post, none
were contested, but with Don Lewis standing down, a vote of thanks was given for
his many years of unstinting service.
Don's successor as Director of Administration is Sue Chadwick who is a former
President of the Women’s International Motorcyclists Association and is a
contracts manager with a large multi-national company Sue looks forward to
bringing those skills to the BMF.
Reporting on the BMF’s planned move to new and smaller offices, Don Lewis said
that staff reductions since 2005 and the contracting out of events management
had meant that the BMF’s existing headquarters was now larger than required and
a move to smaller premises would therefore considerably reduce operating costs.
The move is scheduled for early November and when completed will enable the
existing Jack Wiley House, owned by the BMF, to be let or sold.
Finance Director Howard Anderson reported that the BMF’s performance had met
or exceeded budget projections in most areas, with the BMF’s programme of shows
all making a healthy profit despite increased running costs.
Overall membership at 84,693 had, shown a slight decline, but club
affiliations at 339 were holding up well.
Eddie Kidd was voted in as an honorary member of the BMF in recognition of his
courage in overcoming his injuries and his ongoing support for the BMF.
In recognition of the importance of BMF events in funding BMF activities, it
was agreed that a new post of Events Director will be implemented from the 2009
AGM, necessitating the amalgamation of the Individual and Affiliate member
services director roles into one Member Services post.
Anna Zee was returned for a third year as BMF Chairman and said that now the
BMF had stability, she was looking forward to planning for the BMF’s Golden
Jubilee in 2010.
The Trail Riders Federation had applied to the BMF for a pledge of support
from the fighting fund for possible legal costs in a case in the Yorkshire
Dales. It seems that the BMF no longer has a separate fighting fund and when the
TRF received a negative response to their request some offence was taken.
News that the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has agreed to delay by six months
the introduction of the new practical motorcycle test should only be seen as a
respite and not a victory.
Originally scheduled for September 29, the new motorcycle test will now be
introduced on March 30, 2009.
The BMF fully supported the representations made by the Motorcycle Industry
Association and the Motorcycle Rider Training Association in seeking a delay,
and congratulate them on achieving one. The new test manoeuvres required under
European Directive Second EC Driving Licence Directive have not gone away and
therefore neither has the requirement for expensive new testing centres and
decimation of the existing testing network.
Because of the new test requirements, the existing 260 test centres will be
closed and replaced by just 66 new Multi-Purpose Test Centres around the UK. By
reducing capacity and location by this amount, the DSA will be forcing learner
riders to travel much greater distances to reach a test centre, in extreme cases
60 miles but in many others, at least 40 miles.
The BMF are now hoping that the six-month delay will provide an opportunity
for the whole concept to be revisited and a more realistic view taken of the
facilities required.
The BMF is pressing for centres that are no more than 20 miles from any
prospective candidate.
Before the postponement, only 39 of the planned 66 centres were ready so
unless the DSA had capitulated, there was a real danger that the whole
motorcycle test system would have collapsed in many parts of the country.
The British Motorcyclists Federation have welcomed London Mayor Boris
Johnson’s decision to ask Transport for London to allow motorcycles into
London’s bus lanes before the end of the year. TfL however do not control all of
the bus routes in the capital. The situation on routes controlled by the
boroughs is going to be more complicated. The situation in London will affect
all of us as local councils around the nation are looking for a lead on this
matter in the absence of a definitive position from government.