French motorcyclists keep protesting mandatory inspections

Two years after the entry into force of the mandatory Periodical Technical Inspection (PTI) for motorcycles in France, the view of the French motorcyclists’ organisation FFMC – a member of FEMA – remains uncontested: this measure, imposed against any road safety logic, is only one more tax on the mobility of motorcyclists.

FFMC has organized nationwide protests, demonstrations, and called for a massive boycott of the technical inspection, characterizing it as a racket or a tax rather than a safety measure.

Since 2008, FFMC hammers a truth supported by the European study MAIDS: the technical state of the vehicle is in question only in less than 0.5% of two-wheeler accidents. Unlike car drivers, motorcyclists are by definition dependent on their machines; a technical fault is immediately felt and corrected for survival. Yet, under pressure from industry lobbies and environmental associations disconnected from reality, and under the injunction of the Council of State, the government gave in, turning its back on far more effective safety alternatives (training, infrastructure, road sharing, etc.).

‘FFMC’s fight against PTI is one of common sense against profit, of freedom against unnecessary constraints’

France officially introduced mandatory Periodical Technical Inspection (PTI) – known in French as contrôle technique (CT) – for motorcycles and other powered two-wheelers in 2024. The implementation was introduced in stages, based on the vehicle’s age, with mandatory checks for all L-category vehicles (mopeds, motorcycles, scooters, quads).

The contrôle technique for motorcycles and other powered two-wheelers in France is performed by accredited technical control centres (centres de contrôle technique agréés) that have received authorization to inspect category L vehicles. These inspections must be done at independent, specialized centers rather than at a standard repair garage.

Inspectors check roughly 78 points, including braking, steering, lighting, noise pollution, and environmental emissions. CT centres for motorcycles are strictly forbidden from conducting repairs on the vehicles they inspect. If the vehicle fails, the owner has two months to have repairs done at a separate garage before a counter-visit.

As UTAC-OTC (the French technical body responsible for regulating, analysing, and supervising vehicle inspections) prepares to make its biennial evaluation, FFMC is intensifying its fight for a thorough revision of the system. As the political ‘window of opportunity’ of reviewing the past two years approaches, FFMC is deploying a coordinated, four-front action plan to demonstrate the measure’s ineffectiveness and demand its withdrawal or significant relaxation.

Citizen boycott: resistance starts with your wallet. The FFMC maintains its call to boycott vehicle inspection centres that have chosen to equip themselves to charge motorcyclists. Through the balancetoncentre platform, users can identify centres that support the motorcycling community (those that refuse to perform the inspection) and boycott those that profit from this situation.
The voice of users: ‘Tell me about your inspection’. Because official figures don’t tell the whole story, the website racontemoitonct.ffmc.fr compiles real-life accounts. Between the technical incompetence of some inspectors when faced with specific equipment, exorbitant prices, and a complete lack of safety advice, this feedback from the field constitutes a damning body of evidence against the very relevance of the exam.
The legislative lever: the National Assembly petition. Anger must translate into political action. The FFMC supports an official petition on the National Assembly website. The objective is clear: to force a parliamentary debate to challenge the validity of the 2023 decree. Democracy must reassert itself over a measure imposed by regulation after years of resistance.
Ministerial dialogue: demanding effective measures. The FFMC is not content with simply saying ‘no’. It is requesting an urgent meeting with the Minister of Transport. The goal is to propose measures that will truly benefit road users: improving road conditions, combating ‘guillotine’ guardrails, and providing tax incentives for protective equipment.

The vehicle inspection includes a review clause requiring UTAC-OTC to conduct an evaluation of the Periodical Technical Inspection two years after its implementation. The deadline is approaching, and this is a now-or-never opportunity to break the deadlock. FFMC will propose pragmatic compromises, compliant with Directive 2014/45 on vehicle inspections, for more effective and less penalizing measures for the millions of users of motorcycles and other powered two-wheelers who properly maintain their vehicles.

FFMC’s fight is one of common sense against profit, of freedom against unnecessary constraints. Two years later, the mobilization remains strong. More than ever, the Federation reiterates that motorcyclist safety depends on their safety and protective gear, not on a stamp on a vehicle registration document.

Source: FFMC

All images courtesy of FFMC