High politics for MAG in North East transport talks


The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG), the UK’s leading voice for riders’rights, has become a significant stakeholder in the current developments in the North East Combined Authority (NECA).

MAG’s Regional representative, Dave Wigham, says ‘we have now got a date for a meeting with NECA, which is the 25th August 10.30am.  MAG’s Campaigns & Policy Adviser, Dr Leon Mannings, is going to be there as well and we’re confident of getting bikes and bikers’ needs onto the transport agenda.  Part of our goal is to explore ways to get people out of less eco-friendly vehicles – and, yes, I mean cars – onto cleaner machines which help reduce congestion, namely bikes and scooters.’

A number of local councils in the North will eventually be combined to form the North East Combined Authority.  The MAG team, including Andy Witworth the Political Officer and Gordon Finney the Vice Rep, have been working for some time to gain influence with the transport planners by attending public NECA transport meetings.  ‘We’ve also done our fair share of old fashioned letter writing and email campaigns,’ notes Dave.‘I’ve made sure we’ve been responding as a group to public planning and public engagement documents.’

The extra momentum of MAG has motivated others to increase MAG activity in the North.  George Carnegie, one of the founder members of the hugely popular ‘Stormin’ the Castle’ event committee, has stepped forward to set up what will be England’s most Northerly MAG group.  Meetings in Morpeth are planned to start 2nd Monday on the Month from September. George observes, ‘we’re really on the go in the North now.  I’d say MAG is visibly living up to its aim of being the voice of riders and riding. I hope bikers will sign up to MAG and support our efforts to help keep riders free to enjoy life on two wheels.’

Contact MAG at 01926 844 064 or central-office@mag-uk.org