LETTERS TO EDITORS

Independent Riders' Group member Peter Hawker from Sydney had a letter published in the Jan 11 - Feb 7, 2012  issue of Motorcycle Trader Magazine.

"ON THE RIGHT PATH"

Peter asks a valid question about motorcycle & scooter parking.  Victoria has had free footpath parking since the MRA won a political fight over bike parking in the 1980s. Statewide Victorian riders can park as long as they like on footpaths as long as they do not obstruct pedestrians. Common sense prevails. In over 25 years complaints have been minimal. It works. 

So why don't we see motorcyclists' representative organisations in the other states and territories lobbying for the same parking deal for riders outside Victoria?

Also in the Motorcycle Trader Mailbox Lindsay Swift has a serious go at the Victorian Transport Accident Commission (TAC) for its' shock/horror TV ads on the dangers of motorcycling to motorcyclists. He points out that TAC does not make ads on the dangers to other road users drivers abusing mobile phones.

The TAC is a semi-government insurance monopoly with a compulsory product, CTP insurance. In my opinion TAC should not be sponsoring high-profile organisations like footy teams, it should be putting our money into real safety research, better rehab facilities and no-claim-bonuses for good drivers/riders. 

But TAC's Board of nine doesn't have any members with transport knowledge, let alone road safety expertise. All nine are corporates, financiers and administrators, probably with a healthy profit motive. I think having a motorcyclist on the TAC Board would improve motorcycle & scooter safety, see more of our funds spent on the victims of road trauma and see an end to TAC antibike propaganda on TV.

I write maybe twenty letters to editors a year. Maybe half a dozen get printed. If you feel strongly about a bike issue, write to your daily and local papers. If you get a run you get to a lot of people who don't ride. That's important.

Letters
The Age

Admin  staff  cuts are not the only way the Bailieu Government can cut
police costs.

"Downsize"  the  motorcycle  unit, not numbers, bikes. Police ride 200
kph  luxury  BMWs  in  traffic oftem moving at 10 kph. At over $30,000
each,  these  are  expensive  bikes.  The  1200  cc  BMs  patrol  solo
effectively making the unit a boys club.

Mid-sized  motorcycles  cost  less  to buy and run, carry the required
payload,  cope  with  gridlock  and, used in pairs, offer a safer work
place  for  both  male  and  female officers.

Paramedics are currently testing 600 cc scooters in Melbourne.

Patrol  pairs  mean  police  are  more visible and enforcement is more
efficient,  particularly  for  in-car  offences like child restraints,
seat belt use and phone offences.

Taxpayers  will  get  more  for  their police dollar with a motorcycle
squad better suited to today's traffic.

Damien Codognotto
Independent Riders' Group
Melbourne



Letters
The Herald Sun

Petrol  prices to top $1.60 a litre!

Higher  fuel costs mean more motorcycles, scooters and bicycles on our
roads.  Many  people  want  the  savings  in time and money from using
single-track vehicles.

More  bikes  mean  benefits  for  car  drivers.  Traffic flows better,
there's less pollution, costly damage to infrastructure is reduced and
more car parking becomes available. And, experienced riders make safer
drivers.

Rising fuel costs for CITY road users are not all bad.

Damien Codognotto
Independent Riders' Group
Melbourne