Front Numberplates back on the agenda

[mick_dundee]

Response from the MRAA below.

The Victorian Police (almost uniquely of all the World’s Police Forces) seem to be unable to use well tested cameras to photograph the rear of motorcycles and scooters. In an effort to stigmatise motorcyclists still further for their own operational shortfalls, they are now once again pressing for front number plates for all motorcycles, despite the fact that internationally the only countries that require this are that paragon of road safety – India, and that defender of personal freedoms – Singapore.

The Motorcycle Riders Association may be forced to re-visit its Front Number Plate campaign if a draft Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS), dated December 2007 and issued by Vic Roads without consultation with the Victorian Motorcycle Advisory Council, currently doing State government rounds with a view to introducing front identification decals commencing 2009 goes ahead.

The RIS is circulating amongst other Australian government agencies and is scheduled for sign off at an Australian Transport Council meeting, attended by all State and Federal Transport ministers, sometime this year to meet the proposed 2009 introduction.

Users to Pay

Motorcycle riders will be forced to pay up to $200 for every motorcycle they own as part of the retrofit/installation requirements associated with the introduction of the Frontal Identification. This even includes vintage machines only used on the road under Club permit limitations. Added to the costs are safety and aesthetic considerations for those motorcycles that will need brackets affixed to the front or holes drilled to hold the proposed decals.

The timing of this RIS with CRIMTRAKS recent announcement of the planned use of hundreds of nation wide ANPR cameras suggests that this RIS may not be about safety at all, but rather about real time surveillance and data base building of the movements of the entire driving population. Otherwise why this almost uniquely Australian need to rely on frontal detection?

The MRAA has argued in the past that the $22million cost of introducing Frontal Identification is wasteful for the net recovery of about $300,000 in extra speeding fines. According to MRA Vice-President John Karmouche, one of a group of past leaders/organizers of a campaign to stop the introduction of Frontal ID in 2003, "Riders are already paying a $50 safety levy, and there is a lot of good work being done in other areas that negates the effect of going down this path. The RIS is based on injury/fatality data pre 2005. Since 2005 fatalities/injuries have come down and per-capita this reduction has been magnified by the fact that the number of motorcycles and scooters on Australia's roads has more than doubled since 2005."

The MRA has contacted internationally recognised transport expert Professor Marcus Wigan, author of the initial reports on which the FNP program at VicRoads was based. Dr Wigan has agreed to comment on the current Draft RIS in the interests of properly informed public debate.

Professor Wigan is Emeritus Professor of Computing and Transport Systems at Napier University, Edinburgh, and Professorial Fellow, Civil and Environmental Engineering, at the University of Melbourne. He is also the convenor for Data and Surveillance for the Australian Privacy Foundation

[MiG]

Argghhhh fuck em all. All this shit in the name of safety is so frustrating (remember that the fines are for our safety).

[Neka79]

if they told me they were gunna cut my bike... or wot not id tell em to fuk off..seriously.. its bullshit.. id move to another state if i had to...

sounds a bit over the top huh?? .. well look at what those knobs are doing...

[mike-s]

make "arrangements" to move temporarily interstate, and just make a trip annually just to make sure you get your pink slip and rego sorted , thats what a couple nsw'ers i know do when they briefly lived in the ACT;

[sneakypete]

They want to bring these back, and also keep WRB's (plus more bullshit besides..)... who are these fcukwits and can we not get rid of em?..

we are the most heavily policed country when it comes to cameras,fines etc.. but our toll is nearly the highest. get the hint guys..you're stupid plan is not working!!! education is a good tool, revenue raising doesnt solve problems.

front plates were abolished for a reason...and i dont think that getting money via fines from speed cameras is a valid enough excuse for their return.

i would seriously entertain the idea of moving to another country where you (as motorcyclist) are basically allowed to use common sense when it comes to speed on ther roads-spain is a good example. motorcyclists here are regarded as "temporary Australians" so our opinion obviously accounts for sweet fuck all..
unfortunately, my family (i.e she-who-must-be-obeyed) would never go for it. oh well, at least in this country we can say what we think. And even if we cant think, we can say it anyway....until the cops hit me with a cease and decist or a suppression order.

fuck politicians and all their stupid agendas.. i would luv to have the balls to go into politics and set them straight and be an advocat for the motorcyclist..but my tendency to drop the "F" bomb in moments of stress, would make my career shorter than Mal Meningas'

[BikerBoy]

if they told me they were gunna cut my bike... or wot not id tell em to fuk off..seriously.. its bullshit.. id move to another state if i had to...

sounds a bit over the top huh?? .. well look at what those knobs are doing...

word, i wouldn't let anyone drill holes in my bike..fark that

[MiG]

but our toll is nearly the highest

Where did you pull that one from? I've spent some time looking at stats, and that's sure as hell not what I saw.

[Stereo]

In russia they just pointed the cameras down the road....... allowing them to take a photo of the rear of the vehicle...

Look, the people responsible for this are obviously CityLink.......because most speed cameras are already rear facing... They want the revenue for bikes..... and they want riders to pay for having our bikes mangled...

[mick_dundee]

Actually citylink installed front facing cameras over 12 months ago Stereo, think you'll find Vic Police largely behind it but if it comes in it will be a national thing, not just Vic.

[Benno]

Notice how your Vic rego label has BIG FUCK OFF print of your rego now? It's so if they can't get your plate, they sure as shit can zoom in on your rego label.

[MickLC]

Actually citylink installed front facing cameras over 12 months ago Stereo, think you'll find Vic Police largely behind it but if it comes in it will be a national thing, not just Vic.

LOL as if the states and territories could all agree to implement the same rule

[javaman]

No one's drillling my fairing

[Neka79]

No one's drillling my fairing

thats right Andi!!

unless its u.. with a gps mount..or a drink bottle mount... or heated grips.. or sum other dodgy shit that u hack ur bike apart for !!

[mick_dundee]

Actually citylink installed front facing cameras over 12 months ago Stereo, think you'll find Vic Police largely behind it but if it comes in it will be a national thing, not just Vic.

LOL as if the states and territories could all agree to implement the same rule

Fair call MIck, been talking about national standard road rules for probably 20 years now and we're still no closer

[daffy67]

Queensland recently dropped the RFID tag idea on bikes because its not yet 'ready' yet....