Campaigners and lobbyists generally focus their efforts on promoting the interests of particular mode users or a key issue like safety, or an aspect of policy like fuel duty or speed limit enforcement. Here is an alphabetical list of the most well known and influential groups in the UK. As ever with this site, notice of informative additions to content is always welcome.
The AA (Automobile Association) say it is “The voice of UK motorists”, and with the arrival of Edmund King as CEO in early 2008, it is intent on developing a more pro-active stance on current issues. The ABD (Association of British Drivers) is “Voice of the Driver” and offers a wide range of material to back an extensive range of criticisms against prevailing UK roads and road user policy. Acting as the base for an anti Congestion Charging petition which attracted 1.8 million signatures is it’s most notable success to date – and an LM Telegraph feature on those events can be found here. The master mind of that campaign event was Peter Roberts but he has now moved on to run a different group called the Drivers Alliance . They say they are the “voice of all road users in the pursuit of Freedom of the Roads”. The BMF (British Motorcyclists Federation) aims to “promote and protect the interests of the road rider”. With a membership of ‘over 92,000, it is the UK’s largest powered two wheeler (PTW) riders rights group. However, internal wrangles in recent years have coincided with a decline in membership from 140,000 (when LM did his stint as chairman). The CBT (Campaign for Better Transport) was formerly known as Transport 2000. They say they are the “leading voice for sustainable transport in the UK” and that “we make good transport ideas a reality and stop bad ones from happening.” Although the CBT is primarily an ‘issue’ rather than ‘mode’ oriented group it was originally funded by railway unions – but this is now supplemented by other incomes including government funding. Structurally, it is now a combination of two separate organisations: A trust, which “undertakes and disseminates research and good practice”, and; A campaigning arm, which lobbies and campaigns for “better transport policies and programmes”.