A report from The Freeedom Riders on the Motorcycle Riders Foundation’s Conference, Meeting of the Minds 2000 at Chicago, Illinois, advances Philippine highway access fight for motorcyclists
By James Mirasol

The Meeting of the Minds 2000, carried on live webcast and was a huge success for Philippine access issues which were presented by Mr. James Mirasol who addressed the convention as an invited speaker representing the Pacific Rim during the panel discussion on Global Harmonization.

The presentation on Philippine access issues was very well received by the international participants, as evidenced by the ovation received by Mirasol after his description of the on-going access fight here in Manila. During the convention, the primacy and great influence that Asia has on the future of motorcycling as the world’s largest market was also underscored by Mirasol and other panelists, which was composed of representatives from Harley-Davidson, BMW Motorcycle Owners of America, Federation International Motorcycliste, Federation of European Motorcycle Associations, MRF, ABATE, and the American Motorcyclist Association.

Networking with these leaders of the motorcycling community, Mirasol was able to successfully solicit specific support for the cause, emulating the successful models that have been employed in combating similar, albeit limited bans in Taiwan and Japan. Concrete commitments for assistance in overturning the ban here have been secured and, in some cases, already materialized. Through the generosity of our new allies from motorcycle right’s organizations as well as major manufacturers and governments, detailed statistical studies on international motorcycle expressway safety and accident statistics have already been delivered to Philippine access efforts by overnight mail. The information contained in these studies, substantiates the fact of superior safety for motorcycle operation in expressways as compared with regular roads contrary to the popular misconception that has been the basis and rationale of the ban for these past 30 some years. This data as well as local equivalents will be shared with local government agencies responsible for perpetuating the illegal and dangerous ban, particularly the TRB, which has twice requested such information from local motorcycle rights organizations.

Members of the international motorcycle community have furthermore expressed keen interest to participate in the upcoming national convention to be held this March in Bacolod in order to further strengthen the local motorcycling and right’s movements. Now, thanks to the MRF Global Harmonization Meeting, the expressway ban here is no longer merely a local issue but a global one as well. In line with this, Mirasol was also interviewed by two publications present at the convention, Thunder Press and Motorcycle Consumer News, which, like the rest of the attendees, was incredulous at current policy banning legal motorcycles from expressways.

Mirasol, a member of Freedom Riders was co-sponsored by Club 200 and endorsed as well by both the Luzon Motorcycle Federation as well as the National Motorcycle Federation to speak on behalf of their members with regards to the expressway issue. The conference was held in Oakwood, Chicago from September 21-24. Summary Of Gains From the MOTM 2000 for Philippine Bikers’ Rights:

1. Commitments of active participation and assistance from international manufacturers and governing body associations. Details withheld upon request as advance notice may undermine efforts from abroad.

2. Proprietary information, statistics and studies made available, substantiating safe motorcycle operation in expressways.

3. Working relations established with organizations with significant resources to assist in local access issue. Coordination now ongoing.

4. High probability of international participation for upcoming national convention as a show of international solidarity and for increased prominence.

5. Lobbying techniques and models imparted by observation and in written materials.

6. Interest of international press gained.

7. Proposal to have governing bodies pass resolutions condemning the ban as a dangerous policy as well as calls for change.