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![image: [ Bike sales have shot up in Britain in recent years ]](/olmedia/70000/images/_71856_bikes300.jpg)
Although hundreds of campaigners are joining the rally in Westminster, they are using public transport because there are not enough parking spaces in London for everyone to take a bike.
The Motorcycle Industry Association is organising the rally to lobby the government before it publishes its integrated transport policy in May.
Monica Dickman, the group's chairman, said campaigners wanted the Government to stick to the pre-election pledges it made in a strategy document called Bike to Basics.
"If the integrated transport policy is to achieve its primary objective of encouraging sustainable and efficient transport, greater attention must given to motorcycles and mopeds," she said.
However some bikers believe the government has backtracked on their promises.
"Prior to the General Election we had a tremendous amount of support and enthusiasm expressed by all the parties," Ian Mutch from the Motorbike Action group told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"Since the election, it's all gone rather quiet, so we're really trying to exert our credentials," he continued.
The MIA wants ministers to promote motorcycles and mopeds as "an economical and practical alternative to the car".
They will be urging them to allow motorcyclists to use bus lanes to help relieve congestion, and as a safety measure to keep riders further away from larger vehicles.
They believe politicians and transport planners overlook motorcycles and mopeds, even though they occupy less space on the road and cause less wear to the road surface.
"Frequently the potential benefits of motorcycling are overlooked by politicians and transport planners, who constantly discuss the merits of other transport modes," the association says.
They also believe bikes can help reduce traffic pollution and reduce journey times for all road users.
Campaigners also want more secure parking spaces for motorbikes. They say that around 58,000 new bikes are sold each year, yet around 56,000 - new and old - are stolen.
There has been a dramatic rise in the number of people buying motorcycles and mopeds recently, with registrations up by around 30% a year for the last five years.
Motorcycle sales continue to boom
(16 Nov 97 | Business)
Motorcycle Action Group
Motorcycle Routes in the UK
Institute of Advanced Motorists
Department of the Enviroment, Transport and the Regions
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