Want to do something even vaguely helpful?

via the MCC list. go on, write it in your email program then print it
and send the bloody thing...


We need riders to stand up, by writing a letter to the Federal Minister
for Transport.

The recently released new National Transport Plan makes no mention of
motorcycles. Neither do the State Transport Plans anywhere in Australia.


A new National Transport Plan
http://www.ntc.gov.au/NewsDetail.aspx?page=A0240030550000002000259
NOT ONE MENTION OF MOTORCYCLES


Write to:

The Hon A (Anthony) Albanese MP
Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local
Government
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600

AND

copy the letter to your favourite local Ministers on this page:
http://www.atcouncil.gov.au/about_us/membership.aspx


Please ask ALL riders to write a letter. The new Fed govt tells us it
will listen if we speak.

It's the right time to SPEAK UP!


Ask Albanese to provide an answer of WHY NOT????

Why no mention of motorcycles as a valid and explosively growing mode of
transport? Have the administrators failed him? Why this blindness? Is
it ignorance, or prejudice, or incompetence? Which?

With fuel prices skyrocketing, motorcycle and scooter numbers will
continue to grow. Failure to include them in planning means INAPPROPRIATE
strategies for transport and safety will arise from ill-informed ignorance
Failure to accommodate motorcycles and scooters in planning will increase
crash risks

Motorcycles and scooters are environmentally sustainable,
frugal users of fuel and the only class of road transport
that has REDUCED its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions
http://www.mccofnsw.org.au/a/207.html


Why have motorcycles been forgotten in Transport Planning? Yet again????
This marginalises motorcycle riders, making motorcycles subject to
ill-informed prejudices by administrators.

e.g. tolls - why are motorcycles charged the same as cars?

Can he provide any better answer than "we forgot", (so bikes just got
reclassified as cars ) Motorcycles were not considered at all in the
planning for private toll roads under "PPP" arrangements

Inappropriate technology for tolling means riders are inconvenienced by
masses of paperwork and forced to pay for a failure that is not their
responsibility.

Can he tell us why bicycles are not charged a toll? Under the National
Road Rules, applicable in ALL States and Territories, a bicycle is
"a vehicle" and hence is liable to pay a toll

Can he, as the new Minister demonstrate some leadership, or will he
abandon his responsibility and force riders to take extreme actions
through protests?

The Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce makes excellent points in
their press release of 2 June 2008 here: http://tinyurl.com/5do26z

 

Zebee writes -

Having spent a couple of days in Rome (got lost, ended up there, long story)
when I got over the jet lag and regained consciousness I was absolutely
stunned how much/many of the city were moved on 2 wheels.

Absent a winter anything like theirs, I fail to see why sydernknee won't go
the same way when cheap chinese cars give us gridlock for 5 hours of peak
hours a day.

Just wondering how many pilgrims one can move on 2 wheels as an alternative
to cars - my statistical evaluation of "heaps" is due to far too much fine
italian beer and not enough application of the Proper Statistical Method.

Seriously, could lotsa bikes an' scooters be part of the solution?

Best , andrew

 

Could also be part of the problem too. The worlds largest countries,
like India and China, are swapping 2 wheels for 4, where the prestige of
owning a car outweighs the practicality of owning a bike/bicycle/scooter
etc.

Nev..
'07 XB12X

 

In aus.motorcycles on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:53:24 +1000

I suspect there's more than prestige. Cars *are* more useful in many
ways. Carrying gear and people, keeping you dry, able to store things
in when parked.

The trick in Oz will be to look at the trips that can be done by
motorcycle and facilitate those so doing them by bike is considered
convenient enough.

Things like tax breaks for companies that install lockers so suit
wearers can keep clothes at work. Requirements for a percentage of
parking in any development be for motorcycles.

Legalise lanesplitting stopped traffic in the same way as it is for
bicycles. Legalise and encourage parallel to kerb parking for
motorcycles at intersections.

Possibly even change the onus at law so that someone who hits a vulnerable
road user - powered or unpowered two wheeler, ped, skater - is considered
liable until they can show otherwise. I'm not sure I like it all that
much, but if "didn't see him" is considered an admission of liability
then I'm not sure the legal system would collapse.

Zebee

 

And whereas they admit this in the early stages of the National Plan ---

Australia has no co-ordinated action plan to
address growing urban congestion,


They answer it with this---

Short Term
Develop national service standards for public transport based on
measurable performance indicators, co-ordinated with land-use planning
and population forecasts.
Develop a national action plan which will collate the individual
government responses to congestion, including pricing options,
intelligent transport systems and funding priorities
Review existing taxes and subsidies that can adversely affect congestion
The current FBT concessions for car use that provide incentives to
increase annual km driven should be completely phased out within 3 years

Medium Term
Funding for improved mobility
Commonwealth government funding to be allocated to initiatives
associated with improved mobility of people and freight, rather than
funding solely for fixed infrastructure.
Funding for improved public transport
Sustainable public transport initiatives should be eligible for
funding under Commonwealth government funding programs. Performance
indicators (consistent with government objectives) should be established
to determine


It sounds like it was written with an on-line jargon synthesiser.

 

Obedient as always I did as I was told.

Letter to Albanese, copied to three other pollies. An hour or more for
the letter and a stupid half hour of wandering about websites for
national and state electoral commissions and labour party trying to find
the local member of where I've just moved to. Would have been quicker on
a postie bike!

I should see a drop in my CTP for all this.

Kim

 

Albanese ?
Something about that bloke makes me want to throw bad eggs

 

In aus.motorcycles on Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:09:35 +1000

Excellent!

If he gets lots of letters every time a motorcycle related thing comes
up he'll start to twitch when the words "road transport" are
mentioned.

And eventually he'll try and pre-empt it by actually *thinking* about
bikes.

Well in NSW it is possible they will stay at the same level for a
while. I hesitate to say anyone will see a drop because since when
did the government ever do that?

Zebee

 

It's OK Atec we all know exactly what it is about him that makes you
upset - he's not a member of the Liberal or National parties

JL

 

I don't care about his political failures hence you display your lack of
nous , if you look and behave as he does I expect you would be on the
dislike list as well...

 

Thanks for proving my point while trying to deny it. Have another go.

Maate, I'd be far more worried if I was on your or George W's "like"
list.

JL
(in both senses of the word "like")

 

Can you let us know, then what it is about him that causes you
discomfort? I'd probably be happy to have a go at it.

Moike

 

Victoria, Jeff Kennett's coalition government, circa 1993. The TAC who
run the Victorian CTP insurance scheme pay 50% of their profits to the
Victorian government as a dividend. Because the TAC were making such
large profits, Jeff Kennett instructed them to reduced their premiums by
10%. Jeff then introduced a 10% insurance levy which replaced it. So
instead of 5% of CTP premiums going directly to govt, it's now 10%.
Win-Win for the govt, Win-Lose for the consumer, Lose-Lose for the TAC.

Nev..
'07 XB12X