Motorbike or 'powered two-wheeler'?

A planning meeting at Blackburn town hall descended into fits of laughter when town hall officers claimed they were unable to call a motorbike a motorbike - and insisted they now had to be called powered two-wheelers.

Residents and councillors at the meeting howled with amusement when the planning officer responded to a question from Coun Yusuf Jan-Virmani.

He wanted the officer to explain an item on a planning and highways committee agenda which referred to parking for "PTWs".

According to the planning officer, PTWs, or powered two-wheelers, was how motorbikes must now be referred to at Blackburn with Darwen Council.

After the meeting Coun Paul McGurty said it was an example of "political correctness gone mad".

Carl Fogarty, Blackburn's four times world 'super-powered two-wheelers' champion, said: "It's laughable. As if anyone is going to ever ask their local dealer for a new powered two-wheeler!

"It's as though people are saying there's nothing going on in the world, so let's change the name of a motorbike."

A spokesman for the Plain English Campaign, which crusades for straightforward language in public information, said: "Councils are well known for using three words when one will do."

A Blackburn with Darwen Council spokesman said the council was following the Department of Transport guidelines which refers to motorbikes as powered two-wheelers.

The Department of Transport confirmed motorbikes were disappearing from its literature. A spokesman said: "Powered two-wheelers is a generic term to describe the various kinds of motorbikes and scooters.

"It helps us because we don't have to keep referring to all the different kinds of bikes. It is better if everyone uses the same term, even if that sounds ridiculous."