This from Ulysses.
Hi and welcome to the first of the
Road Safety Committee eNewsletters.
(This eNewsletter has been sent to all members with a valid email address)
The last Road Safety Committee meeting was held in August - the Minutes of that meeting can be found here. Please let us know if you have any questions about the Minutes or suggestions for the Committee.
The Committee representatives have been busy in each of our own states/territories.
From Nev Gray # 3394 in SA comes this news
- The first meeting of the new Motorcycle Reference Group recently held with the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Transport has been a long time coming since the premature demise of the previous Motorcycle Task Force set up in 2003 as a result of the Ulysses Club's consistent lobbying. The primary task of this new Group is to facilitate the 6 new initiatives from the SA Road Safety Strategy three year (2013 - 2016) update.
- One of the initiatives the Motorcycle Reference Group will be looking at is: to encourage returning riders to undertake a motorcycle skills refresher training course. I have had preliminary 'one on one' talks with government rider trainer manager to get such a course up and running. It will be provided free of charge and attendance will not be compulsory. Existing Government training facilities will be used - funding is being sought from other Government agencies with an interest in road safety. Other than that, I cannot comment any further at this moment.
And from Dave Wright # 51871 on the left hand side of the country:
- I have just returned from a meeting with the W.A. Public Transport Authority Chief Executive Officer to discuss the trial of motorcycles using bus lanes. The good news for WA riders is this will be up and running in a month or two (once signage has been updated and installed) I believe this will help make riders safer on our roads by removing them from the highly congested highways during peak hour traffic, and hopefully encourage more to get out of their cars and take two wheels to work in Perth and surrounding areas.
- It was announced recently that funding to the W.A. RAC for our Motorcycle and Scooter Advisory Groups(MSSAG) and Vulnerable Road User Group was refused by the Minister for Road Safety. I am a member on both of these groups and very quickly organised meetings with the RAC, Office of Road Safety, Minister for Road Safety and the Opposition spokesperson on Road Safety. The short version of these meeting is that the RAC will continue to host and run these groups but will not have any additional funding for safety forums or research projects. These will be funded by the WA Road Trauma Trust Account. (100% of the money donated to the WA Police department from red light and speed cameras) So after a lot of drama it may be a better outcome for Riders.
- We have just started our WA Motorcycle Safety Week with the launch at the Perth Motorcycle Show. As part of the week our theme will be Share the Roads and to that end we have sent to every town, shire and council in every region of WA posters and handouts on rider and driver safety for motorcyclists. The posters have also been distributed to all Licencing centres and Police stations and on all relevant Government websites. At the end of the week (10th November) we have organised for a free Ride Right motorcycle skills enhancement course. The details of this have been sent out to all Perth metropolitan Ulysses Club Branches. Hopefully next year I will be in a position to take this course to all W.A. Ulysses Club Branches.
