VACC urges bike-friendly roads

"The Transport Minister must now recognise the changing environment and take initiatives to make the roads safer for scooter and motorcycle riders, as has been initiated for bicycle riders," VACC Executive Director David Purchase said. "Neither regulation, nor training, nor traffic management and infrastructure use has kept pace with the boom in sales of two-wheeled transport."

The organization has promoted a number of proposals in the latest edition of its magazine, Auto Industry News.

They are: Allow traffic filtering to the left and right of stationary or slow-moving traffic;

Institute filtering lanes and motorcycle 'safety boxes' at the head of traffic lanes, where this is possible;

Encourage box right-hand turns at busy intersections for bikes and scooters;

Allow scooters and mopeds to share bicycle lanes, with a 35km/h speed limit.
(The VACC illustration of a modified intersection is shown here.)

The ideas have, in general, gained the support of the Motorcycle Riders Association of Australia,, with representative John Karmouche, saying, "These proposals are very definitely a step in the right direction. Although these proposals may still require further refinement in consultation with motorcyclists, they deserve to be taken very seriously."