Motorcycling Netherlands is heard: with 28,000 signatures in his pocket, the KNMV handed the petition “no to Motor-APK” in Brussels on Wednesday. Motor riders from other EU countries were also present with similar petitions, with which the European Parliament received a clear signal: a mandatory motor APK is not welcome.
The KNMV delegation rode on the motorcycle towards Brussels, top cases full of signatures, and handed the document together with the Portuguese Motorbond FMP to Esteban González Pons, vice-president of the European Parliament. According to KNMV director Wim Mulder, Brussels is completely in the wrong direction with this plan. The Netherlands has 1.6 million motorcyclists and their voice must count.
“This petition shows that a Motor-APK is not the solution. Anyone who wants to make serious work of road safety, must invest in prevention, enforcement, infrastructure and training. That is all better for us, not a check on an APK form.”
The petition emphasizes that technical defects hardly contribute to accidents – only 0.3% in all of Europe – and that a mandatory MOT costs a lot and yields little. Moreover, the proposal ignores the wishes of the Member States and incorrect interests are taken into account, while the freedom of choice of countries is lost.
The KNMV calls on Brussels to reject the proposal COM (2025) 180 and instead opting for a European road safety agenda that really has an effect: aimed at prevention, training, enforcement and better infrastructure, and that leaves the Member States the space to determine how to control engine safety.
The transport committee of the European Parliament will discuss the proposal in the coming months. Then it will become clear whether the voice of tens of thousands of motorcyclists from all over Europe is heard throughout Brussels, or whether the plans are simply pushed through. For many motorcyclists, a mandatory motor-APK remains just as useful as a snow shiver in the Sahara-an expensive measure that practically does not add anything to safety.
Photos: KNMV
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.