Don’t blame us for moped crime, motorcycle firms tell London Mayor

BIKE firms have responded to London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s call to "design out" motorcycle crime by saying there is no "magic bullet" that can do so.

The Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) has warned the Mayor not to make the bike firms it represents the ‘focal point for blame’ for London's moped crime epidemic.

Visordown reported yesterday how Mr Khan had said “the design of motorcycles make[s] them far too easy to steal and this must be dealt with head-on at the point of design if we are to rid our streets of these crimes”.

Tony Campbell, the MCIA's CEO, responded 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.”

There were over 14,000 motorcycle thefts in the capital last year according to the Mayor’s Office, and 23,430 crimes committed using motorcycles, a 163% increase on the year before.

Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, BMW and Piaggio were among those invited to a moped crime summit at City Hall on Tuesday, where Mr Khan was to "strongly emphasise the importance of manufacturers taking responsibility for their customers and the safety of all Londoners and taking action to help ‘design out’ motorcycle-related offences," according to a Mayor's Office spokesperson.

The MCIA responded with a statement today saying it was ‘committed to supporting the Mayor, the Met Police and its customers in providing a safe London but [the] industry cannot become the focal point for blame’.

Mr Campbell said the focus should instead be on a range of measures including more secure parking facilities. He highlighted industry schemes including a security tagging system fitted to new bikes and an awareness campaign encouraging riders to use chains and locks.

He added: “But 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.”

More than 23,430 crimes were committed using motorcycles in London last year. I’m working with @metpoliceuk to tackle moped crime – but it’s time for manufacturers to step up and design anti-theft measures into their vehicles to help keep Londoners safe https://t.co/BSRl4PNshw

— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) January 23, 2018