Motor contingency policy

1) Form of insurance taken out by firms to protect against situations which their normal motor insurance policy does not cover (eg where an employee used his own vehicle for business purposes but was found not to be correctly insured when a claim arose).

MOTEC

1) Multi-Occupational Training and Educational Centre. Operated by Road Transport Industry Education and Training Board (RTIETB) to provide skills training for transport, motor trade and related industries - at High Ercoll, Shropshire and Livingston, near Edinburgh.

Moped

1) Small-engined (not exceeding 50 cc) motorcycle which can be driven by 16-year-old person - must not exceed 250 kg kerb weight or be capable of more than 30 mph.

Monopoly

1) The situation in which a single producer controls most or the whole of a given market. In the transport context, a situation where a single operator holds the largest share or the complete market thus making it difficult if not impossible for other operators to compete. NB: while British Rail held a monopoly of train services it had no monopoly of the movement of people or goods.

Modem

1) Modulator/demodulator. A device which transmits computer signals via a telephone land line.

Mode switch

1) On vehicle tachographs, the switch which the driver uses to indicate his mode of work (ie driving/other work) or rest. Commonly drivers refer to this as the tachograph 'button' which they find hard to remember to turn as required - which is an offence.