TThousands of motorcyclists protested in Paris on Monday against France's MOT requirement. They gathered at the Arc de Triomphe in the west of the French capital and loudly drove east. “There are at least 10,000 of us,” said Jean-Marc Belotti, coordinator of the French Federation of Angry Motorcyclists (FFMC) in Paris.
A few years ago, the EU decided on a single regulation for roadworthiness testing of motorcycles, scooters and other motorized two-wheeled vehicles, which is now also being introduced in France. “This is extortion, pure and simple,” said FFMC member Isabelle Lebret. Other EU countries, “such as Ireland, the Netherlands and Denmark” have not established the MOT requirement either.
The FFMC calls for a “total boycott” of the TÜV requirement. Eric de Caumond, a traffic lawyer and member of the FMMC, told the protesters that a boycott would be without problems. “It's called civil disobedience,” Belotti said.