EU motorcycle laws cost Britain millions in new test centres

It has been a crucial part of the British motorcycle test for generations ... the emergency stop on a quiet suburban street.

But a new EU-approved test is set to change that, and other vital aspects of the examination, in an overhaul that is plunging the motorcycling world into chaos and costing the British taxpayer millions.

Anyone taking a motorbike test will soon be assessed on manoeuvres such as the emergency stop or avoiding an obstacle at EU-specified speeds of 30 and 50 kilometres per hour.

British Ministers signed up to the new-style test without protest – apparently oblivious to the fact that 50kph is 31mph, 1mph above the speed limit for the kind of quiet streets where tests are usually taken.

Now Britain is spending £71million building new off-road test centres, with mock streets, so that the EU examination can be held legally.

One new centre alone, at Basildon in Essex, cost £1.5 million.

Last night Shadow Transport Minister Robert Goodwill hit out at British officials for nodding through the new-style tests.

He said: ‘This is down entirely to UK Ministers and officials dozing on the job when the directive was being agreed.

‘They could have put their hands up and insisted on carrying out the 50kph manoeuvres at 30mph instead of 31mph but they didn’t and now we’re forking out millions of pounds for unnecessary test centres. It’s a complete nightmare.’

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And Alex Pinch, who runs motorbike riding school OYB Training in Cornwall, said the 31mph manoeuvres could easily be done anyway on roads with a 40mph speed limit.

He said: ‘These aren’t dangerous high-speed manoeuvres.

'Most are things that everyone will do each time they go out on to the road, like going around the corner, riding slowly, doing a U-turn and avoiding a car.

‘I’d be happy for my students to do the 31mph emergency stop on a 40mph road because on a road like that the examiner should have decent visibility and be able to see whether it is safe to do it.’

To compound the controversy, the Government has botched the roll-out of the new test centres.

The Driving Standards Agency had promised 66 new test centres would be up and running by the time the new examination was due to be introduced, on September 29.

But it has been forced to admit that only 39 would be ready on time – and has now postponed the start date for the new test by six months.

The provision of the new test centres has also caused concern, with motoring groups fearing that some learners will have to travel up to two hours to get to their tests.

Some learners in Scotland will be 100 miles from their nearest centre while riders from the Isle of Wight will have to travel to the mainland.

Since learners would not be allowed on motorways to get to their tests, some face long round trips to get to examination centres and the fear is that they will simply not bother.

Mr Goodwill said: ‘It’s going to be completely counterproductive. Instead of safer bike riders we will end up with fewer people bothering to do their full tests.

'They’ll just ride on L-plates for ever or ride illegally.’

Motor Cycle Industry Association spokesman Craig Carey-Clinch said: ‘Safety could be compromised if candidates are forced to ride long distances to their tests.

'Many will be physically and mentally drained, which is hardly conducive to performing well on the test and is potentially very dangerous.’

A Department for Transport spokeswoman refused to disclose why Ministers and officials did not seek an exemption or if they had been aware at the time of the significance of the 50kph speed when the so-called EU Second Driving Licence Directive was being agreed.

The DSA insists that the new centres are necessary because of ‘safety’ concerns over the 31mph exercises.

A spokesman said: ‘Changes include new manoeuvres that must be undertaken at speeds of between 30kph and 50kph. For road safety reasons these cannot be carried out on public roads.’