It looks like it could be a good year for Australia's motorcycle & scooter riders. Then again .....
The Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into motorcycle & scooter safety finished its' public hearings in December and will table its' report in State Parliament in June so there's still time to contact the MP on the inquiry committee and let them know how you feel about matters motorcycling. Their contact information is in a following post on a 2012 research project.
A few years ago VicRoads changed the regs on placement of registration labels on bikes. This was done with minimal consultation and no publicity. Nothing new there. But, VicRoads didn't tell anyone about the change so the Government, then Opposition, published a policy to changed the reg that had already changed. Police weren't told apparently so, preumably, they kept booking riders for failing to display rego labels correctly under the old rules. If anyone has been booked, you may be entitled to a refund. More on that in a future post.
Also in 2011 VicRoads began a bus lane trial where motorcycles & scooters are allowed to use the bus lane inbound on Hoddle Street between the Eastern Freeway and Victoria Parade. You are NOT permitted to use the bus lane on the Eastern Freeway, nor are you allowed to follow the bus into Victoria Parade. You have to turn left, away from the city into crowded Victoria Street. This defeats the purpose of the trial and, if you ask me, is very dangerous. More on that in a future post.
VicRoads & MUARC will run a research project on two groups of riders in 2012. An information session is/was held on January 9 in a pub function room. One might ask why not a meeting room at VicRoads or the Melbourne Town Hall or the VACC? One might also ask why a Monday afternoon in January when too many people are on holidays? And, one might ask why key stakeholders were NOT invited? More on this too in another post.
Anyway, get out there and enjoy your bikes before the powers that be regulate and tax you off our roads.
Damien Codognotto OAM
Independent Riders' Group
Melbourne
Tel: 03 9846 8621
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