MELBOURNE CONGESTION TAX???

There is a push in Melbourne to introduce a congestion tax on motor vehicles. Those pushing the CT may have lumped motorcycles and scooters in with cars, vans and truck and we could be hit at the same rate as cars. There's also talk of discouraging motor vehicles from the CBD including bans on some days each year. It's the position of the independent Riders Group that, if taxes and bans are applied to motor vehicles, motorcycles and scooters should be exempt.

This newspaper item does not mention us and it's my opinion that we can't expect any support from the RACV.

Damien
IRG

MELBOURNE RING ROAD DOUBLE FATAL

THE AGE
Letters

The terrible crash on Melbourne's Ring Road this week requires a look at the way our society copes with youth on wheels.

Enforcing hoon laws with more uniform police is not the whole answer. At best, enforcement reduces hooning. At worst road authorities use hoon laws to be seen doing something. The later means isolated enforcement, youths singled out, examples made. Resentment of police increases.

Police and community attitudes to young people, their energy and curiosity, are part of our hoon problem. It's a sympton of an ageing population. Restrict, control, learn from me, when I was your age ... and so on.

Change the culture back to service from control in road authorities. Put driver/rider education in schools with a career path for road user educators. A teacher goes to uni to teach kids to kick, swing, swim, jump or run, but just about anyone can teach a kid to drive/ride.

Use facilities and build more. We have drive/ride facilties that lie idle a lot while millions are spent on bicycle paths and skateboard parks. Circuits at Sandown, Calder, Broadford, Winton and Phillip Island are available for much of the year. Spend tax dollars on drive/ride days and help grass roots motoring clubs with costs so young drivers and riders are mentored by people they respect, the way it was.

Involve  Police/Vicroads/TAC staff interacting with young people. Combine motor sport and education. Break down the barriers between young and old, old and young.

Young people seek adventure. Don't try to ban it. Bans can't work. Restrictions promote rebellion. Channel the energy. Seeking limits drives young humans to achieve in fields from driving and riding to finding planets and curing the incurable.

Damien Codognotto
Independent Riders Group
Melbourne

ANOTHER UNRIDER HIT & RUN???

Were the motorcycles involved in the Norlane hit & run registered? Were the operators licenced? Or were they unriders who have nothing to do with road riders?

From the police media unit report the average reader could form the opinion that these were irresponsible, dangerous road riders. This vilifies of a whole class of road user, the vast majority of  who are responsible, law-abiding citizens who pay their road taxes.

Victoria's 326,000 plus licence holders are NOT unriders. It behoves the Victoria Police Media Unit to make the public aware of the difference. Not to do so is negative to road safety.

http://www.vicpolicenews.com.au/news/8963-appeal-for-witnesses-following-norlane-hit-run.html

TOBY PRICE RECEPTION

Email your local MP asking for a Victorian Government reception for Dakar Rally winner Toby Price.

www.parliament.vic.gov.au/members

Damien
IRG

RECEPTION FOR TOBY PRICE IN MELBOURNE????

Dear Premier of Victoria,

May I suggest that the Government and the people of Victoria get the opportunity to show how proud we all are of Toby winning the "World's toughest off-road race", by giving him a warm reception in his honour held in Queen's Hall, Parliament House.

In 1997 I was invited to attended a similar reception for Michael Doohan,world 500cc motorcycle champion.This event was a great success and well represented by the motorcycle community and covered by the print and screen media. Motorcycles were displayed on the bottom and top steps of Parliament House. (see attached invitation).

This man has represented Australia so well on the world stage deserves recognition in the highest order!

Please Note: The same people that organised motorcycle riders in 1997 to  Michael Doohan's reception are still around and I am certain can assist you when called upon.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/motorsport/toby-price-becomes-first-australian-winner-in-dakar-rally-history-20160116-gm7ghy.html

Regards,

Rodney brown
Motorbike Rider

If you think this is a good idea, email the Premier at:  daniel.andrews@parliament.vic.gov.au
We are ready to do it again for this Aussie Champion.

Damien
IRG

WRB LETTER TO THE HERALD SUN

WRB LETTER TO THE EDITOR

THE SUNDAY AGE
LETTERS

The wire rope barrier on the central median strip of the Monash Freeway in Melbourne failed to stop an out-of-control car this week. At 6.30 am a car hit the WRB, went over it and crashed into oncoming traffic. 

According to road authorities this can't happen. But it does. It happens a lot and people die. Near Ballarat on the Western Highway, two dead. It happened at Pyalong near Bendigo, four dead. Fortunately, in this Melbourne case speeds were low and there no deaths.

These WRB crashes are hard to find in crash data because investigators mostly don't record the type of barrier involved or the exact location. Safety research on WRB crashes in the wide range of Australian conditions is almost non-existent. This lack of road safety data has been documented in more than one Parliamentary Inquiry. Several countries in Europe have banned WRB.

VicRoads has spent over a billion tax dollars installing more than 700 kms of WRB in this State and it plans to double that.

Commuter traffic inbound on the Monash came to a virtual stand still. The road was all but closed for an hour and a half during the morning rush. A nightmare for any large city. What did that cost? And, what will
be the cost in human injury and death from WRB crashes in 2016?

Damien Codognotto
Independent Riders' Group (IRG)
Melbourne