Moving the Goal Posts! EU Commission and the TRL Anti-tampering study
On Friday, 16th September, the Motorcycle Working Group met again to discuss the issues surrounding the proposals for a regulation of 2 and 3 wheeled vehicles and market surveillance.
The Transport Research laboratory (TRL) presented their findings on Durability of pollution control measures, Light duty electric and hybrid vehicles – and they presented their findings regarding Tampering prevention.
In April this year, Right To Ride reported on the fact that the Commission had contracted the British research institute TRL to initiate a so called anti-tampering study on their behalf. As the name suggests, the study investigates the existing forms of ‘harmful power-train tampering’ as well as measures to prevent them.
Competition Study – Click Here
Was the TRL Study a Success?
According to TRL, the response to the competition was insufficient and it was cancelled because there were “Not enough valid entries to run the competition”. So they failed to fulfil that part of their contract with the Commission.
“A second source of input will come from the type-approval and enforcement authorities via such a questionnaire”.
However in the TRL presentation at the MCWG meeting, there is no mention of how many replied (although a questionnaire was sent to over 400 stakeholders). We can only presume that this second goal was unsuccessful, simply because they do not mention the feedback and/or any results.
That leaves theory…… In the TRL presentation slide 35
Tampering types considered theoretically
Effects of tampering estimated from literature/theory
Draft selections made on tampering types to inform testing, but still ongoing and iterative process… (which in layman’s terms means that they will keep going until they get the answers that they want – which is to identify harmful tampering and apply anti-tampering measures – even if it is a complete waste of time and money).
So the answer appears to be that the TRL study was not a success.
TRL Presentation – Click Here
More to the point – is harmful tampering widespread and is it a problem in terms of safety and the environment?
It does seem that whatever facts are presented, the Commission just keeps moving the goal posts.
What is really worrying is that with few exceptions, the MEPs in their fervour to save lives and reduce emissions, have given the Commission Carte Blanche to cripple an industry and ratchet up the cost of two wheeled transport and leisure, thus creating further hardship and potentially driving up unemployment as companies struggle to implement the proposed regulations.
We have to agree with ACEM – at the MCWG meeting on Friday, their representative told the Commission and members with regards to the timetable for implementing the proposed regulations that the revised Commission proposal was “a Nightmare Scenario” and commented that the Commission was “changing the rules in the middle of the game”.
At Right To Ride, our view is that not only have they changed the rules in the middle of the game, but they have also moved the goal posts!
We can’t help but think that the famous statue in Brussels has taken on a whole new meaning.
Read our report “Moving the Goal Posts – EU Commission and the TRL Anti-tampering study” – pdf 619kb – Click Here
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