Federal minister applauds motorcycling
The Hon Anthony Albanese MP, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, has thrown his weight behind motorcycles as an integral part of the urban transport mixWhile some state governments are seemingly transfixed on the ‘safety’ aspect of motorcycling – and promoting punitive measures on riders -- a senior minister from the ruling Labor federal government has put a refreshing twist on the debate by extolling the virtues of motorcycles and scooters as an “important and growing component of the urban transport mix”.
The Hon Anthony Albanese MP, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, made the comments in Melbourne at the launch of the ‘State of Australian Cities 2012’ report, which brings together current research and data from the 2011 Census of Population and other sources to present a comprehensive snapshot of Australian cities. It’s the third such report, following on from similar releases in 2010 and 2011 – which have been downloaded a whopping two million times.
“This year’s edition includes fresh data drawn from the 2011 Census, allowing us to shine the brightest possible spotlight on the way we live,” said Mr Albanese.
“Thanks to feedback on the 2011 report, we have also included more feature articles. These highlight issues such as land use planning around ports and airports, and climate change adaptation and mitigation. Two of these articles particularly caught my attention.
“The first looks at the role of that often-forgotten transport mode, motorcycles and scooters. As I can attest from my recent trip to Italy, many of the world’s cities are thronged with motorbikes and scooters as people take advantage of this low-cost, low-energy and space-efficient form of transport.
“However in the Australian policy context, they tend only to be mentioned in discussions about safety. This can obscure the fact that they are an important and growing component of the urban transport mix at a time when congestion drags like an anchor on our time and productivity.
“As the feature article notes, some Australian cities are following their European counterparts in encouraging their use. Here in Melbourne, motorcycles and scooters can park free on the wide footpaths, while in Canberra they can also park free in designated spaces that are plentiful throughout the city.”
To read a copy of State of Australian Cities 2012, click here.
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