The CEO of the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) has responded to the London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s comments whereby he called upon manufacturers to “design out” the issue of motorcycle theft. The MCIA say there is no “magic bullet” that can help.
In a recent City Hall meeting regarding moped and motorcycle crime in the capital, the Mayor strongly emphasised that big manufacturers such as BMW, Honda and Suzuki should take more responsibility for the issue and their customers safety by making motorbikes harder to steal in the first place. He said: “It is essential that manufacturers step up to help us tackle this problem at the source. Put simply, the design of motorcycles make them far too easy to steal and this must be dealt with head-on at the point of design if we are to ride our streets of these crimes.”
Tony Campbell, the MCIA’s CEO, responded to the Mayors comments earlier today: “We know the Mayor would like to hear there is a magic bullet which can be fitted to all bikes to stop them from being stolen, but unfortunately, there isn’t. If there was, we would be fitting it, as theft is particularly damaging to business and to our customers.”
Campbell also added that the focus should be on providing better security measures, including more secure parking facilities. “They need something to lock their bikes to, which is where City Hall can make a difference, in providing more secure parking across London.
“Powered two wheelers are a solution in reducing congestion in the capital, improve air quality and relieve the pressure on parking, as they do in other European cities. They need to be properly factored into London’s transport planning over the long term and secure parking is one of the elements to ensure this is successful.”
So, do you agree with the Mayor of London, should manufacturers be making design changes to help clamp out motorcycle crime? Or do you agree with the MCIA CEO’s response? I’d love to know you thoughts, let me know in the comments section below.
