Tag Archives: tolls

Do riders deserve a better deal ?

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Riders deserve a better deal that includes free tolls and parking, and lower rego and insurance to encourage more people to ride and ease congestion and strains on road and parking infrastructure.

So says the high-profile 2 Wheel Action Group made up of Australian motorcycle industry figures, led by former GP champion Wayne Gardiner.

They have launched a “Better Deal for Two Wheels” petition to demand more recognition and concessions for powered two-wheelers.

Click here if you would like to sign the petition that will go to appropriate state and federal ministers. Or use this QR Code.

Better Deal Petition

It calls for a raft of concessions to get Australia moving on a more convenient form of transport than public transport which is being shunned by the public with genuine fears of Coronavirus infection.

Key points:

  • Lower the cost of powered two-wheel registration and compulsory third party insurance, making prices standardised across all states ($50 for 50cc, $100 – LAMS, $200 – Open);
  • 50cc scooters and mopeds able to be ridden on a car licence Australia-wide, not just Qld, SA, WA and NT;
  • Incentives for commuters to buy electric powered bikes through green fund rebates (as per current solar rebates) and no stamp duty charges;
  • National exemption from motorway, bridge and tunnel toll charges; and
  • Free parking and footpath parking, except in public thoroughfares and walkways.

The 2 Wheel Action Group has set up social media assets and appointed respected and awarded retired industry veteran Stuart Strickland as its public relations manager.

Zenith Bi-Car

Stuart has urged riders to make comments about registration costs when they sign the petition.

Wayne Gardner’s video content will be rolled out over the next four weeks through Facebook and YouTube.

He will point out that more powered two-wheelers on the road means less pollution, better social distancing, less congestion, lower demand for infrastructure and parking, plus more fun!

Find out more about a Better Deal:

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Number plate theft and cloning on the rise

Number plate theft and cloning of plates is on the rise, resulting in riders receiving speeding and parking fines and unpaid toll notices.

The National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council says number plate theft can also be used to commit crimes such as petrol theft, robberies, house break-ins and drug trafficking.

Police are also reporting an increased detection of cloned plates with offenders using vehicle sales websites to find a vehicle matching their bike or a stolen vehicle.

Offenders are even cloning the number plates on laminated paper.

Cloning plate scam not new

Police and transport departments in several states say the cloning plate scam is not new, but are unable to supply statistics for speeding fines waived or offenders who can be charged with both criminal and traffic offences.Fixed speed camera Victoria - fines suspended virus plate scam

Police say motorists wrongly fined would need to provide photographic evidence to prove the vehicle in the speeding offence photo was not theirs.

It is recommended that private sellers blur their number plates when they advertise their vehicle online.

In Victoria, Victoria Police, VicRoads, Department of Justice and Regulation, Fines Victoria, the Crime Statistics Agency and the NMVTRC are investigating the misuse and theft of number plates.

The NMVTRC says about a third of all stolen plates are taken from vehicles parked on the street and 10% were from vehicles parked in a car park.

About 85% are stolen from metropolitan areas.

Unpaid tolls

The scammers have also been using tollways with the video recognition fee going to the registered owners of the plate.

Last year we reported on Kingaroy rider Paulette Devlin who copped a $10.78 fee for an unpaid $2.28 motorway toll when her Kawasaki Ninja 250 was parked in her garage more than 200km away.

plate scam
Tollway photo of Paulette’s plate on another bike

She bought the Ninja in July 2017 through Gumtree.

We contacted Queensland tollway company Linkt who confirmed they had waived Paulette’s toll.

Linkt is owned by Transurban which also owns CityLink in Melbourne and six tollways in Sydney.

(Click here to find why tunnels are the top traps for speeding fines.)

In fact, they also waived a second unpaid toll after they found the same number plate had been used on a different bike.

plate scam
Second tollway photo (they take two photos, one from in front and one behind)

They confirmed that “some people who complain regarding this are being investigated”.

Linkt would not reveal how many are being investigated.

Motorcycle riders are particularly vulnerable to this plate scam where tollways use video pate recognition for motorcycles instead of a transponder.

Riders should check their next toll statement to ensure that all toll fees are legitimate.

If you find an incorrect charge, email the Transurban customer resolution team at: [email protected]

Do not simply fail to pay the fee as the charges will rise even more.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com