Melbourne rally keeps up the pressure

A protest on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne has again called for the abolition of the $56 a year tax on Victorian motorcyclists.

At the gathering, a paper petition was presented to Victorian Liberal MP Denis Napthine, whose party has pledged to abolish the levy should it win government from the John Brumby-led Labor at the next state election in 2010. Napthine was supported by John Vogels, a fellow Liberal MP from western Victoria.

The petition, which can also be signed on-line, argues:

- The tax is discrimatory;
- The tax is hidden in other road costs and justified as a safety levy;
- The tax singles out and penalises a small but significant group in society for their choice of transport. No other transport mode is treated this way;
- The tax defies logic in a state in dire need of more efficient, cost-effective transport systems, and where most congestion is caused by single occupant cars;
- Responsible authorise should encourage the use of vehicles that do little damage to infrastructure; and
- That most riders also drive, so they pay two lost of road taxes - plus the motorcycle levy.

Over 800 signatures have now been presented to the Victorian Government.

The levy was first introduced in 2002. Since then, it has risen from $50 to $56 via indexation. No other state government in Australia has introduced such a levy.

There are currently over 130,000 road-registered motorcycles in Victoria.