“We know that the government can play for time. If necessary, we will enforce the obligation to put this control in place in court”, said Monday, October 31 on franceinfo Franck-Olivier Torro, spokesperson for the collective Ras le Scoot, one of the three associations which had seized the Council of State for the establishment of the technical control of two-wheelers. The spokesperson – satisfied by the decision of the Council of State which reinstated this control – will ask “penalties and a penalty payment for the non-implementation of this control”if ever the government takes too long to put the decree in place.
franceinfo: How can you be sure that the government applies this decision of the Council of State, in your opinion?
Franck-Olivier Torro: It’s on the right track. The government will apply it but it will not happen right away. It will take some time because no technical control center is ready to accommodate motorized two-wheelers in order to be able to control them and, of course, we will have to wait for the application decrees. We know that the government can play for time. We do not know who will be consulted. We hope to be many around the table to be able to really discuss the really effective measures.
If the government takes too long, are you ready to go to court as the association Respire plans to do?
Yes quite. We will ensure that the government takes measures to put the technical control decree in place. If necessary, we will enforce the obligation to set up this control in court and we will ask for penalties and a penalty payment for the non-implementation of this control. We had talked about a million euros per month but we will discuss it again.
Finland, Ireland or the Netherlands have not introduced this technical control but, in exchange, these countries have applied alternative measures, what can it be?
First of all, you should know that these are countries where there is not the same problem of motorized two-wheelers. There are far fewer. When you see bikers from those countries in France, they are colorful, they are careful, they ride in the middle of the road, so there is another practice.
Regarding the measures that can be put in place, there is an aspect that concerns us more, us – citizens not motorcyclists – it is noise and environmental pollution.
It is believed that the technical control could solve a number of problems. For example, the obligation to bring exhaust pipes into conformity would already do a world of good to the ears of the French.
Franck-Olivier Torroat franceinfo
There are also a number of motorized two-wheelers in the state of wreckage and which should no longer circulate. What we want is an end to nuisance.
What do you think explains why the government is taking so long to apply this European decree?
Whether it is “Angry bikers” or hunters, it is clear that the government is benevolent with these small categories of population – because they are few people – who can come to demonstrate loudly and who scare the government. Guess that’s why the government brushes them off. The Council of State having delivered its verdict, it will be more complicated for the government which will be able to say: “We did everything we could to avoid you the technical control. We will have to go there. It is not not our fault. Don’t protest.”