Fuel fight bikers plan Capital jam

Published on Wednesday 25 June 2008 10:29

MOTORCYCLISTS from across Scotland are set to bring disruption to the streets of the Capital this weekend in a protest over the rising cost of fuel.

Organisers are hoping hundreds of bikers will take part in Saturday's convoy, which follows a similar protest by lorry drivers earlier this month.

The action is being staged by motorcycle club Fife Bikers, which says its members are growing increasingly "fed up" of prices at the pumps. The protest is expected to travel from Kinross, over the Forth Road Bridge and around the city bypass, before finishing at the Grassmarket.

A spokesman for the group said: "The rising cost of fuel affects everybody. The focus is always on the lorry drivers – the guy on the street with a car or motorbike is not being listened to.

"We feel it's about time that someone got off their backside and did something about it. We're not out to cause absolute mayhem on the roads but we do want people to sit up and take notice."

Bruce Young, a spokesman for the British Drivers' Association, said he hoped the protest would help force a government re-think on fuel duty and would be widely welcomed by Edinburgh's motorists. He said: "There is only one way now of making feelings heard and that is by staging a protest such as this. I would be quite happy just to stand on the pavement clapping."

But the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) said the stunt would have little impact. Spokesman Neil Greig said: "Direct action of this nature has virtually no effect on government policy. They are only going to hold up other road-users. While everybody has sympathy and would like to see cheaper fuel prices, we feel that effective lobbying is much more likely to have an impact on government policy.

"Everybody is affected by fuel prices – even if you don't have a car – because everything in shops has been taken there by road. If you carry on down this route everybody could be protesting."

A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Police said: "We will work with the organisers to facilitate a safe protest and minimise disruption to other road-users."