I'm probably getting less tolerant in my advancing years; perhaps a little too Victor Meldrewish.   However I'm getting rather 'cheesed off' with the bicycle lobby groups.   Here in Victoria, more and more bicycle lanes are being 'installed' on our roads.   Dedicated bicycle traffic lights are being installed in and around Melbourne City and other major centres.   New laws are being drafted to give bicycles freer passage on roadways.   Now although all this sounds great for cyclists; where is the 'quid pro quo?'   Bicycles are vehicles as defined under current (and past) legislation yet they are getting a 'free ride' so to speak.   Cyclists  enjoy the use of our roads without cost.  They don't pay any registration costs, no Collision Injury levies, no licensing fees.  The new laws, bicycle lanes and other considerations are completed without cost to the cyclist.   The cyclist is also covered by Compulsory Third Party Insurance, all at no cost.  The cyclists does not have any identifying number plates and doesn't even have to give his or her name or address to a motorist when involved in a collision.   The motorist has to pay registration, Compulsory Third Party Injury Insurance, Licensing fees, display number plates and give his or her details to ANY OTHER vehicle when involved in a collision.  Despite no fees for the cyclist; the cost of registering a car is going up, the cost of a driver's licence is going up.  Basically speaking, the motorist is bearing the costs of the increasing use and numbers of bicycles on our roads.    The cyclist has the benefits of fees paid by motorised vehicles and the benefits of dedicated lane, lights and laws which are also paid for by motorists.    I'm thinking it's about time that we looked at the example of other countries.   Whilst living in the West Indies, I was obliged to pay a small fee for my bike being on the road.   This also applied in Holland and other European countries whilst I lived there.  More and more, we are being told by governments that we are in a 'user pays' society; yet a significant part of our road users aren't paying for the infrastructure that they use AND are getting extra benefits that are paid for by others.   In my experience, cyclists rarely give turn signals (yet are obliged to do so by law), almost never give stopping/slowing signals (also required by law), don't give divergence signals, no mudguards, bells/warning instruments and a long list of other roadworthy requirements required by law.    Now don't get me wrong.   I appreciate that cyclists cause almost no pollution and take up less road space and that there are motorist who fail to obey road rules; but the fact that the motorist is now losing part of the road width to bike lanes, extra traffic control signs and signals are being added, all at cost to others is the final straw.   O.K.   I feel better now, I've calmed down and am breathing more easily.  The steam has stopped coming from my ears and my face has returned to a more normal colour.  

For what it's worth. 

 I see your point, I'm just cheesed off.   Wrote to my MP about this and see if he'll deign to reply.

I got an idea, let's build cycle lanes so the bikes can do their thing without running the risk of being hit by a car!  

Personally I reckon the more bikes and less cars the better.

Look on any road or freeway, thousands upon thousands of cars weighing 2 tonne or so carrying one person to & from work.  Look on the cycleways, many many 25kg cycles carrying a 80kg person to & from work.  Which is kinder to the planet?  Which is more healthy for the commuter?

Cars are needed for distance travel but I reckon leave them out of cities & let cycles rule!

Cheers Neil

copper1 wrote:

---

 

AAARRRRGGGGG, Keith don't get me started as well on bicycle's but each to their own regarding transport I suppose. Unfortunately they aren't "motor vehicles" as defined by the act, as motor vehicle" means a vehicle built to be propelled by a motor that forms part of the vehicle  they are as you said just a vehicle a bicycle" means a vehicle with one or more wheels that is built to be propelled by human power through a belt, chain or gears (whether or not it has an auxiliary motor), and
(a)         includes a pedicab, penny-farthing, scooter, tricycle and unicycle,

So the buggers get away with ALL the associated cost's and we have to keep dodging the blighters  Victoria does have some funny legislation but if involved in an accident here in NSW, party's do have to exchange details and there are quite a few infringements that can be given to bike riders here, as I have handed out many over the years I would imagine, it would have to be the same south of the Boarder???? 

Gee I can't wait till January when I have to travel to Vic to catch the spirit, might have to take the back roads OH wait probably have mountain bikes to dodge !!!!

 

Good write up keep safe, Oh and sorry for the technical stuff we might have some peddle power lovers amongst us

-- Edited by copper1 on Saturday 26th of October 2013 06:16:37 PM

---

 Unfortunately here in Vic, they don't have to exchange details with anyone.   There is  separate legislation empowering 'Plods' to demand name etc but they have to be I.D.'d first.  We could rarely catch them and when we did, Dept Policy was only to issue T.I.N.s if they were the holder of a driver's licence (go figure!!).    We started up a pushbike unit to combat recalcitrant cyclists but it was all but disbanded due to budget contraints.   The few that were left went all over the state in a special bus but we had to request them up to 6 months ahead to get them in our area.  We tried using found bikes from our property office and worked in plainclothes, but then we were told that we were technically illegally using a bicycle ((Summary Offences Act) because we didn't have the permission of the unknown owner.   Some colleagues apparently found that a baton through the spokes would pull them up fairly quickly but that was also frowned upon for some reason or an other.   Adult Cyclists are generally not a bad lot of people, it's just the fee issue that I have a problem with and the fact that we are losing more road space.   If my math is correct a push bike puts the same weight per square inch of tyre on the road as a standard sedan.  Anyhow I've settled down for another couple of months re this.

 xley wrote:

---

Snip

And then there are the one that are cat owners, dog owners, parents, smokers..

---

 You missed grandparents and Vegetarians

johnq wrote:

---

We are the cyclists,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71JZgBLKMTs

---

 Sorry John, only just finally managed to get a look at this.   Loved the opening line.

johnq wrote:

---

We are the cyclists

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBFFrsvgu1Y

---

 Sorry John, I only just managed to view this.   Loved the opening line.