Over 1,000 bikers today protested in Lisbon's Praça do Rossio against the planned mandatory inspection of bikes, claiming the move is more to do with boosting inspection centres’ profits than with safety.
António Manuel Francisco, from the Motorcycling Federation of Portugal, said the proposed measure is designed "only to extort money from motorcyclists" and that "only 0.3% of motorcycle accidents are caused by mechanical failure."
Bikers from all over the country then converged on parliament where a manifesto was delivered to Miguel Tiago, of the Communist Party, the only MP in the Assembly building, who commented, “You need to know exactly what reasons are behind the announcement that from October there will be periodic inspections. There is no actual regulation, no debate has been undertaken with motorcyclists, there is no real knowledge of biking in Portugal.”
Demonstrations also took place in other cities of the country, such as Oporto, Castelo Branco, Faro and Funchal.
The intention to extend mandatory periodic inspections to cover motorcycles was announced in May, not by the government but by the president of the National Association of Automobile Inspection Centres, Paulo Areal, who said the measure would take effect from October this year.
António Manuel Francisco said that he did not understand how an association could announce this plan when it surely is up to the government to do so, adding, "no one knows how it will work, for example whether inspectors will be required to have a motorcycle license or not."
