Rage against speed cameras sparks more outbursts of explosive protest in UK and across Europe

Yesterday I went for a bit of blast on my Rocket lll to clear away a few mental cobwebs in the cold but exquisitely clear crisp air that glittered just above freezing across London. Today the air is just as clear and the sun is shinning through, tempting me to go out on another ride. But, so far, I have resisted that temptation because I really need to get some writing done before various things kick off during next week. However, my plan to work has already taken a tangential direction thanks to news from goldiron, who is a biker blogger in America talking about very different types of blast here in the UK, and in other parts of Europe...

They say that bad news travels fast. And news of every sort sure travels faster and further via the internet than any communications medium in human history – but sometimes it takes a curious route.

As I got to my keyboard & screen this morning to settle down to writing my next column for MSL, my attention was grabbed by news that objections to speed cameras have stepped beyond the realms of peaceful protest during the 'festive season'.

I am not about to condone this level of extremist behaviour for the simple reason that I prefer living in a society that usually deters individuals from reaching a point where blowing things up just because they don't like them becomes acceptable. And, as UK news shows, our police are taking this matter very seriously. It is also worth recognising that some individuals in our midst have an extreme dislike of motorbikes or scooters – or indeed anything that goes with help from an internal combustion engine, unless of course it's a  'public transport' service vehicle – but let's not go there today.

All I am left feeling from this diversion is this. News keeps coming that shows how extreme the anger can get about the use or abuse of automated systems for enforcing road traffic controls and regulations. And, I guess, what  remains to be seen is whether such extreme actions as blowing up speed cameras (aka safety cameras) is more to do with the desperate lengths some individuals feel driven to go to – or that there are some things that are so bad about the way some 'enforcement' powers are deployed, that protests of all sorts will continue until changes for the better are introduced.

All Quiet On The Westminster front?* Maybe not for long as Rage Against the Machine shows how the powers of smug directors to control 'pubic opinion' can be challenged by meek and lowly individuals...

As supporters of the Rage Against the Machine campaign have just shown, even the most powerful and smug controllers of what the public have to accept here in Britain, can be humbled by effective protests that are coordinated via the internet.
Getting those who have great influence to make better distinctions between having the power to manipulate, 'control' or simply ignore public opinion – and whether they are right to use it for their own ends – is always a battle. But it sure feels good to see one of those battles won for a change in the music world.

And, albeit on a smaller scale, I think this has an intriguing relevance to the ongoing saga of Westminster City Council's (WCC) attempts to pioneer new high-tech systems to tax riders of motorbikes and scooters – by making them pay to park on the public roads that they have already paid many times over to use. I have just learned that Cllr Danny Chalkley has now got the latest and final version of his 'Officer's Report'  in to consider.

This reviews events so far, as far as the council officers see them, and recommends whether WCC should make their 'experimental' rider's tax permanent. Danny had asked for a re-write of the previous version of report which recommended going ahead with the new tax. That followed various private meetings and comments from NTBPT, MAG, BMF, and yours truly. This demand for a re-write prompted a glimmer of hope for some of us that sense would at last prevail and the power of arguments that a new UK rider's tax would do far more harm than good, would finally be recognised. But no...

I have now read the report and can tell you that all it's author did was add a few spurious responses to key criticisms and the recommendation to go-ahead with this potential new stealth-tax stands. Critically though, and I have already told Danny this, some of these responses will create a new focus for problems if, as I suspect they will, WCC decide to plough on with trying to get away with keeping this new revenue stream flowing. I gather though that DC's decision will now be made early in the new year, so more on that when it happens. In the meantime, I will carry on with my reflections on recent doings.

From what I have seen so far, on the inside and the outside, it strikes me that there are strong parallels between the way that Simon Cowell of X Factor fame carries on – and the contemptuous attitudes to public opinion that are exhibited by some in Westminster who are involved with pushing this regressive tax on users of Powered Two Wheelers (PTW) – which are IMHO a vital, green and highly efficient mode of transport – especially in our congested towns and cities. However, it is worth noting that although Cowell has a bit of egg on his face, he is doubtless a great deal richer nevertheless – and smart enough to continue raking in loads more cash. And frankly, if folks want to keep spending their hard-earned on keeping Simon in the luxurious lifestyle to which he is accustomed, so be it. I am not a fan of telling anyone what to do with their cash.

What I'm still pondering though is how far the parallels may run. Will the sometimes smug controllers inside Westminster City Hall get away with no egg on face? There could well be a lot of egg to come from various sources. These include the ongoing and escalating campaign of protests organised by NTBPT and splinter groups like the RATS – and the outcomes from various legal challenges that are already being investigated and one that is waiting in the wings if the scheme goes permanent.
Perhaps most important question of all though is whether Westminster's controllers are smart enough to cut and run if that is actually the best thing to do for all concerned, or to try and dig themselves into the trenches while they keep raking in the cash no matter how much egg gets thrown.

Far be it for me to predict or proscribe what will happen next, but I just found a little something that may show how smart or inappropriately smug the bike park tax pioneers are. While on a hunt for something else on the web, I found some extraordinary admissions by our hero/villain of the hour, Alistair Gilchrist. Now I doubt that any of these will surprise those who read my musings - but the fact that they are just sitting there may at the very least raise a wry smile. Anyway, according to Alistair, Westminster City Council were the bad boys on the UK's billion pound parking enforcement industry block back in 2003. He made this admission as the senior officer responsible for parking services in a recent conference and his Power Point Presentation can be seen in all its glory here.

Alistair was clearly so confident at the time about the council's plans to expand the scope of parking tax schemes that he showed examples of public anger at the council's abuse of its power in the 'bad old days' – and this note (left) of what some of the public really think about promises that all will be fine in the future. The question now is, was he right to be so confident then or now?

It seems to me that despite great efforts to rid themselves of that 'bad boy' parking cash-cow squeezing image, the reputation of those in charge of parking controls in the heart of London could be about to plunge to even greater depths. If it soldiers on with this new tax scheme, the council will have to face more battles and on several fronts. The audit commission has begun investigating the way that contracts were awarded to Verrus, and the EU Commissioners are about to start their own investigation into other complaints about the way hat this was handled.

So, all of us who are concerned with or about the prospect of new taxes for PTW riders are left with a few questions to consider. Will Westminster City Council now decide that it's 'experiment' to impose a new tax on motorbikes and scooter riders is not really the best way to go – and especially in very tough times for most of us? Or, will they continue to try and get away with making it a permanent and growing part of UK life for riders, and a new source of revenue stream for a council near you? Or, lastly for now, will rage against this new tax machine prototype become the ultimately decisive factor?

* This headline has a root in the title of a film & book called All Quite On The Western Front. This is in part about gaps in understanding of reality between front line fighters & those in power who create situations in which hard battles sometimes need to be fought and won. There are many plot reviews out there but this summary has fewer ads for dentistry and explains the title in the end.

Hope y'all had a Happy Christmas for those who believe in that sort of thing, and have a Cool Yule & New Year for those with faith in other reasons to be cheerful!

Slipping one in during the festive season of goodwill? ...Heroes or villains?

It is not my style to 'name & shame' but I feel compelled to say that the time draws nigh when two would-be pioneers of a new motorbike & scooter parking tax in Britain will be seen as heroes or villains, and by whom...

You may well wonder who this fellow on the right is and what he might have to offer us in our ongoing quest for reasons to be cheerful – and especially now the season of goodwill to all etc. is upon us, while the future of life on earth hangs in the balance for some. Well, all as I see it about this bloke will be revealed shortly. And, depending on what his boss, Cllr Danny Chalkley (DC) on the left decides, life will eventually either get better or worse for us all in UK towns and cities and especially so for riders of motorbikes or scooters. Amongst other things, the bloke on the right is a very senior officer at Westminster City Council who was asked to re-write his second officer's report recommending that the council makes its 'experimental' M/C parking charges scheme permanent. For an alternative view of this scheme go to No To Bike Parking Tax

The re-write is finally done and submitted to DC so he, as cabinet member for transport at WCC can decide whether to go ahead with the new UK biking tax or scrap it. DC emailed me this week to say that he will "make that decision within the next week". But please bear with me and join in on a Yuletide ramble to get to the bottom of who is really doing what and why, and whether these two characters will be heroes or villains and will their next move be for the greater good, or all about the money...

All sorts of stuff, and a fair amount of nonsense goes on in the festive season. It is of course also the time when we are all supposed to be especially jolly and nice to each other etc. There are however a number of Bah Humbuggers who say that's all tosh.

The most fervent humbuggers are deeply sceptical about the merits of mass immersion into temporary enthusiasm for extra jollity. Just SAY NO they shout to falsely bearded Santas and smiling, some even say no to drinking yerself sillier than usual. A few humbuggers go as far as seeing a dark side. It's not about the peace-and-love-man spirit of Christmas they say grimly. It's all about the money honey, and warn that there are sharks out there who just want to screw you for as much as they can and in whatever ways they can get away with. Darker still, while everybody and their mate and their dog are wobbling around with feelings of goodwill to all and sundry, or just legless, it can be a jolly good time for ne'er do wells to do their dastardly worst. This even includes cunning or desperate government bods who need to try and slip a bit of bad news into the world while our ears and eyes are elsewhere.

Now, this is where our chap on the right may or may not come in. He is Alistair Gilchrist, Director of Parking at Westminster City Council & M.D. of Westco Trading Ltd. And, IMHO, dear Alistair is the real driving force behind what I regard as a nasty new high-tech tax on motorbike parking – first in London – and in a town near you next. But as I know from past experience, when it comes to motorbike parking charge schemes, Alistair has a bit of history for trying to slip things in, or occasionally letting things slip out, while he hopes that no-one important is paying much attention.

I vividly remember the first time AG tried to introduce a scheme to make riders pay to park their congestion busting motorbikes and scooters in the centre of London on Westminster's patch. He and WCC ignored objections but soon found out that coin operated parking meters issuing pay and display tickets wouldn’t work and nor did the other variants he tried. So, poor Alistair and his wannabe bike parking charging chums ended up with big egg on face – but that was just the first time around.

Now, pay-by-mobile-phone technology has come to his rescue. And, as he let slip at the last meeting of the Cross Party Parliamentary Motorcycling Group. "We've always wanted to get bikes to pay for parking but didn't have the technology till now". In parallel to this, Danny Chalkley has convinced me that he really doesn't want the new bike parking fees to deter riders from using bikes in Westminster, although the only official reason left standing for the scheme is good old 'demand management' which is all about deterring folk from using particular modes. But, like Alistair, Danny is a director of Westco, and indeed its Chairman, and Westco just happens to be in the business of supplying parking 'services'.

But why would anybody want to set up a business within a council? Well, the answer is the same as it is for any business, it is to make money. And as we all know money makes the world go round and charging to park on public roads is a great way to make loads of money if you have the local authority powers to do so. So, the big question now for Alistair and Danny during the season to be merry is this. Are you going to be heroes and bin this attempt to screw more money out of riders who are doing there bit to cut congestion and save the planet by reducing pollution? Or, are you going to stick with the plan to get a bit more cash, put people off riding bikes and scooters and consolidate you appearance to many as the Scrooges or villains of the peace? I sincerely hope you will be heroes...

Will the UK's next batch of MPs make better use of the benefits that motorcycle and scooter use has to offer in British cities where most of us live – like cutting congestion and related pollution, reducing overcrowding on public transport for commuter rammed commuters – and reducing journey times between home and work?

I always enjoy my annual pilgrimage to the NEC bike show in Brum and this year was no exception. And, for what it's worth, my star of the show was the Norton Commando 961 SE – in classic black with gold pinstriping. And, yes I am old enough to remember the original version. And yes, I know that the new one costs a shed-load of money and that some folk get their knickers in a twist about it. But I really don't give a jolly old monkey's. For me, it is simply a stunning piece of British engineering and I firmly believe that the world is a better place for having such a thing in it – even if it's just to gawp at in awe!

Anyway, back to the show. From the moment I check into the press office, the world around me changes. Normally, as a biker/PTW rider, I am part of a small minority. This is generally true whether I'm on the road or in the fields of work where our rule-makers' views of motorcycling issues are formed. And, more often than not, the way ahead for us looks like an obstacle course strewn with all sorts of people and stuff that can block our progress. But for a magical few days, the vast majority of people around me are, in some way or other, slightly mad about bikes in positive ways. This always boosts my enthusiasm for being a small cog in a machine that is generally headed in the direction I'd like to see us go.

But I came away with a more diverse range of powerful feelings than usual. First, my usual back-to-back succession of chats about what is or should be going on gave me some extra causes for concern, particularly about the BMF's current financial situation. So I wish Martin C of Mulberry (who is running next years' shows) all the luck he deserves to get the old org back on the right financial track. But I also got various boosts of fresh hope for the future of motorcycling in Britain.

After years of hoping to experience it, I found myself in the midst of a bikers group threesome! Fortunately for me, this happening is not quite the stuff of scandals or tabloid headlines. Nevertheless, there has been a crucial development in the weird and sometimes wonderful motorcycling lobby world – where some of us are trying to work out what needs doing in the run-up to the next general election. In essence, what’s happening is that MAG, the BMF and the MCIA are joining forces – and have launched a new campaign to stress that Riders Are Voters (RAV) and that it matters. The key point though is that this fact matters not just to riders – but to all prospective candidates who want to play a part in the next term of UK government. There are, after all, well over a million of us!

However, in my experience, any mention of lobbying stuff tends to send many bikers to sleep – and raises a few critical questions from those who stay awake. And the biggest of these is questions is this. What are the chances of anyone who matters taking any notice of what we think will be better for motorcycling? Then, to add a salutary reality check before answering, it's best to note that many UK riders think that our volunteer force of campaigners and lobbyists are more like a ramshackle dad's army, than an effective force to resist more constraints and to fight for better ways of addressing motorcycling related issues.

But in my view the RAV concept does more than provide a name for one campaign. It is drawing the three key motorcycling groups together in the most effective way I have ever seen. It is also building good new routes for developing strategies and action to promote our interests – way beyond the next general election.

To be clear though, I have no illusions that the forthcoming election is likely to revolutionise the way motorcycling issues are addressed here in the UK. But it seems fair to expect some significant changes in the balance of power in central and local government – and in the way that power might be directed. There is one thing I am sure about though. Whoever gets into power, they will find a better coordinated group of people to talk to about the many good things that motorcycling offers, and better ways to tackle problems. And, if our new governors try to impose more constraints, or ignore our legitimate demands for improvements, we are less likely to be saying where's dad's army? than Vive la Resistance!

R.A.T.S Block Westminster Council front doors bike protest

Just had link to a vid of RATS protest outside Westminster City Hall.

No time to say more for mo...

...Well except perhaps that some might find that the choice of pop combo used to play the melodic backing music is rather apt.

Turns out they are an outfit called RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

Crikey!

RATS bikers protest group blockade Westminster City Hall with motorbikes ... while the EU Commission opens an investigation into pay-by-mobile phone M/C parking fees & fines scheme.

Earlier this morning a riders group who are new to me made something of an impact in downtown Victoria in the heart of the Westminster area of central London. The RATS (Riders Against Tory Stealth-taxes) managed to delay a meeting of the Partnership in Parking PIP consortium at Westminster City Hall by chaining a number of bikes together in protest. This lot are, incidentally, an entirely separate bunch from the No to Bike Parking Tax NTBPT group.

Anyway, I gather that these rascals are a splinter group of activist opponents to the controversial attempt by Westminster City Council to pioneer a new pay-by-mobile-phone parking fees and fines scheme – and to sell the system to any other local authority who wants to extract a few more quid from bikers if they can. And this may be a tempting prospect when you notice that the Westminster trial scheme has already extracted more than £2m from riders pockets More pics here

Later today, another demonstration is scheduled to take place but this one is organised by the official NTBPT group so it will be interesting to see what happens then. It will also be interesting to see whether the mainstream news media take the opportunity to report what is really happening these days on the streets of London or stick to their more conventionally oriented coverage of output from never ending streams of PR and well spun versions of what our governers would like us to get as 'news'.

But back to this morning's events, an eyewitness tells me that the police arrived on the scene and engaged in a highly professional investigation and amicable spot of negotiations. All of which resulted in a conclusion that no criminal activity or damage had occurred, a bunch of disaffected bikers had exercised their rights to take to the streets in protest, and the meeting then went ahead albeit two hours later than planned.

I also gather that meeting was rather uneventful, or as one member of the public gallery put it boring as f**k – until the end. Some council members of the London-wide consortium had no idea that opposition to bike parking charges was so vigorous and voiced major concerns about the very idea of charging riders of congestion busting motorcycles to park – let alone having their consortium take the lead on spreading it nationwide.

...Meanwhile, I learned late on Friday that the EU Commission will investigate whether regulations have been flouted or laws broken during the set-up phase of the bike parking tax scheme being pioneered in Westminster...

EU Commissioners have served notice on the UK government's representative in Brussels that they are opening a formal investigation into an official complaint that EU regulations were flouted in setting up the controversial bike parking fees scheme being trailed in Westminster. The complaints were lodged in 2008, and made regarding some of the behind-the-scene activities by the Partnership in Parking (PIP) consortium that was originally set up with tax payers money. It is alleged, by the complainant and opponents of the scheme, that the way that PIP went about setting up the pay-by-mobile-phone scheme involved several violations of EU law on procurement.

The case for investigation, No.SG-CDC-2008A-7695, was formally opened on 20th November and the UK government has eight weeks to reply to notification of the investigation.

The key allegations are that PIP coordinators set up the scheme in a way that could not only be rolled out throughout the UK by any authorities who wanted to introduce a new pay-by-mobile-phone bike parking charging and enforcement regime – but that PIP encouraged councils to deploy the new fees and fines system without a tender process by merely joining the PIP consortium.

The complainant cannot be named because it has asked the EU Commission to protect their identity during the course of the investigation. However, I have now seen a copy of the submission of complaints and can say that in my view it is very understandable why the Commission are taking the complaints sufficiently seriously to open a formal investigation...

Climategate latest. Consensus of scientists or 'a lot of hot air underpinned by fraud'?

As you can see in this harrowing picture, this poor polar bear is balancing on just two paws because all the ice around him has been melted by global warming – which as we are frequently told is caused by us who ride motorbikes and even more evil people who go by plane. Oh deary me. Or maybe there is another explanation for what is really going on....

...Could it even be that Governments are using Climate Change as a 'Con to raise taxes' ?

I have just seen two articles today which extend the ongoing debate which is increasingly being called Climategate – and despite the odd way Google is reacting to searches for it. The first introduces the word FRAUD to the mix of criticisms levelled at the bods in our very own CRU with the significance of climategate outlined today – and who at the very least have been 'selective' when deciding what they will and won't reveal from the science they are paid to investigate and report on by various governments including ours in the UK.

The other reveals another development in this increasingly heated debate that may well prove to be of equal or even greater significance. It turns out that a Backlash is building a head of steam against blind faith in man-made global warming among key Tories in the UK.

Now, the bottom line for me is this. I am called all sorts of things because I ride a bike, albeit mostly behind my back by folk who don't have the balls to say them to my face. And frankly, I couldn't give a stuff about them anyway unless they are getting in the way of important stuff to me. This includes making realistic plans to really reduce pollution in a genuinely sustainable way, and improving road safety for ALL vulnerable road users – rather than just talking emotive tosh about it – which many do.

So, sorry but I really am getting sick of being called a 'denier ' just because I don't wholeheartedly believe claims that are based on cherry-picked data and by people may be fiddling the figures to get the results they need to keep up appearances of being right about climate change and global warming.