By JASON TURNER
A $66 slug on motorbike riders that pays for safety schemes would be abolished under a recommendation from a parliamentary road safety committee.
The report recommended closer scrutiny of how the motorcycle safety levy is used.
In the past 10 years the levy raised $45 million through compulsory rider contributions to the Traffic Accident Commission, which is paid on top of the regular registration payments.
Long-time motorcyclist Aaron McFadzen agreed more transparency was needed on how the safety fee was spent.
“I would actually like to see what safety it was going towards,” he said.
The bike sales manager at Dandenong’s Peter Stevens Motorbikes has been riding to work for more than 12 years.
“I don’t think I’ve really seen safety measures done especially for bikes,” he said. “I’ve never seen something and thought that was paid for by the levy.”
Riders are charged $66 with the annual registration of their first motorbike with an engine capacity above 126cc. Subsequent motorbike registrations in the same year are exempt, as are farm bikes and other speciality types.
Education and research projects have used $15.7 million of the levy and $27 million was spent on infrastructure such as anti-skid surfaces and clearing vegetation for increased visibility.
Motorcyclists are the only road users who pay an extra safety levy on their registrations.
Mr McFadzen said he would be happy to pay for the levy if he actually knew where the money was being spent. He said the levy should be spent on more education and more motorbike-dedicated lanes on busy freeways.
He said there were many who rode for years without knowing the basics of bike control and what riders should do in certain situations.
The levy should be spent on increased funding of safety courses. “If people don’t know what they’re doing, education can help fix it.”
The report made 64 recommendations with 12 on the levy.
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