Mond

Wednesday, 4 October 2006

SYKES: ABOLISH MOTORCYCLE TAX

An unjust $53.90 tax on motor cycles and wire rope roadside barriers were the main concerns raised by Victorian motor cyclists at a protest held on the steps of State Parliament by the Victorian Motorcycle Riders’ Association yesterday.

The Nationals’ Spokesman for Police and Emergency Services, Bill Sykes, met with the protest organisers to listen first-hand to their concerns.

“The Nationals recognise that tens of thousands of Victorians are being dealt an unfair hand by the Bracks Government – which is forcing them to pay a tax that no other Victorians are being asked to pay,” Dr Sykes said.

“The Nationals support the abolition of the Motor Cycle Tax.

“The Bracks Government believes just because you own a motorbike or a scooter it is entitled to charge you an additional $53.90 in taxes and charges a year – not because you use the road more than anyone else – but simply because Melbourne Labor believes it can get away with it.

“The Motorcycle Advisory Council obviously needs adequate funding in order to enable it to do its job, but I simply do not believe imposing this extra tax on people is the right way of going about it.

“The Bracks Government is collecting around $100 million dollars a day in taxes and charges, yet when it comes to spending this money its priorities are clearly wrong.” Dr Sykes said.

Dr Sykes said The Nationals were also calling for the immediate release of a Vic Roads report into the safety and effectiveness of road safety barriers used in Victoria.

“The Motorcycle Riders Association have raised serious safety concerns about wire rope barriers and The Nationals support calls for the public to have all the facts put before them.”

Dr Sykes said the Association had also used the protest meeting to raise a number of other issues of concern to their members, including the need for:

• A coordinated national approach to motorcycle safety; • Licensing reform - addressing both age and horsepower limits applied to new riders; and • Enhanced bike parking facilities at major public transport hubs and terminals.

“Unlike the Bracks Labor Government, The Nationals are prepared to listen to and work with Victorian motorcyclists to ensure these issues are practically addressed in the future,” he said. Media contact: Bill Sykes (03) 5762 2100 or 0427 624 989