Ride To Work

Background

In November 2009, the then Minister for Transport and Roads was asked why Motorcycles and Scooters were not permitted in the M2 Bus Only Lane, even though the RTA allows Taxis and Hire Cars.  The formal response received in February 2010 was that it was a safety issue and that Safety Audits had shown that motorcycles entering and leaving the M2 Bus Only lane represented an unacceptably high risk.

This was a lie.

In February 2010,  an Freedom of Information (FOI) request was submitted seeking those safety audits.  In April, those safety audits were received; none even dealt with motorcycles or scooters, let alone stating that this was a safety risk.  Someone has misled the public. It could be Transport NSW, someone within the RTA or even the Minister himself.  We wrote back in April raising this issue and in May 2010 received a polite “The matters raised by you have been noted and are presently receiving attention.” response.

The prior Minister for Roads and Transport then very publicly fell on his sword (M2 access not the only untruth in the closet…)

No response was subsequently received, so we wrote again to the new Minister for Transport.

In July, the recently reinstated CEO of the RTA (having taken the fall for the prior Minister over the F3 debacle) replied to our questions.

Apparently, the reason that motorcycles and scooters cannot use the M2 Bus Only Lane (whereas Taxis and Hire Cars can) is because feedback from the bus drivers using the M2 Motorway consider the ingress and egress of motorcycles into and out of their lane an unacceptably high risk to buses and motorcycles.  Allowing Taxis on the other hand is considered to deliver a “significant benefits as a public transport option”.

Let’s consider the arguments here:

• “…taxis provide significant benefits as a public transport option.”
  • How many of the public forced to take public transport can afford a taxi for the length of the M2?
  • Use of Taxis provides a significant benefit over use of motorcycles and scooters?
  • 1 passenger per taxi (on average) is better than 1 passenger per automobile on the M2?
• “…multiple entry and exit points of motorcycles in and out of the ‘Bus Only Lane’… would represent an unacceptably high risk to motorcycles and buses.”
  • Motorcycles and taxis are permitted only the same ingress and egress points by law.  Average taxi (including driver and passenger) weighs approximately 1.9t.  Average motorcycle and rider weigh 0.3t.  Physics 101 tells you that ingress and egress of a taxi is a significantly greater risk to buses.
  • Safety audits were conducted for changing the lane to taxis, so if ok for taxis then ok for motorcycles (by a factor of 6) – or at least any logic would suggest.
  • Bus drivers are qualified to conduct risk assessments or draw conclusions on consequences and likelihood?
  • Bus drivers who commonly exceed the speed limit on the M2* and routinely muscle their way into the traffic across painted traffic islands** are best qualified to offer advice to the RTA about “acceptable risk” in the M2 Bus Only Lane?

This excuse is a farce!

There are a number of things that can be done.

1. Sign the petition (so we can show relevant people that there is a critical mass of motorcycle and scooter riders that care – there is a state election in March 2011 and they care, right now).
2. Write a letter to your local member.
3. Write a letter to your local paper (since local members care about what is in the local papers)
4. Write a letter to the Minister for Transport.
5. Write a letter to the CEO of the RTA.
6. Write a letter to Hills Motorways.
7. Write a letter to the Greens.
8. Join a motorcycle or scooter club and encourage them to affiliate with a motorcyle or scooter lobby group (for obvious reasons, Ride To Work Inc is the preferred partner here…)

Please sign the petition below and we will pursue this with applicable ministers and shadow ministers, the local members of relevant electorates and local government authorities.

Thank you for you assistance.

* I commonly travel the M2 at the speed limit and have buses speed past me in “their” lane.  In the morning, when crawling, or stopped, my vehicle is pounded by the wash of these behemoths.  This is a very bad accident waiting to happen.

** Every single day that we travel the M2, we see this happen.  Not sometimes, not often, but 100% of the time.  Note the time, note the rego plate and ring Eastwood Police on 02 9858 9299.  Note that these are the law breaking bullies who won’t let you ride in the M2 Bus Only Lane because “they care about your safety”…

Please note that only the latest ten (10) petitioners are shown below.  All are recorded in a database for future presentation to the NSW Parliament.

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Petition to NSW Parliament