Registration and licencing

[bychosis]

Legitimacy for what? To ‘allow’ cyclists on the roads? Most riders already have a licence. Of Those that don’t many committed offences that preclude them from driving. are we going to exclude them from transport that has low impact on others as well?

The only legitimacy it gives is to the whiners that think all cyclists are road menaces. It’s not going to change anything else.

[AndrewCowley]

Legitimacy to the tradies and other knobs who gets antsy at the mere sight of cyclists on 'their' roads.

I know that we have legitimacy already, but my point is paying a small amount of money in rego might put some of these knobs in their place.

[find_bruce]

Legitimacy to the tradies and other knobs who gets antsy at the mere sight of cyclists on 'their' roads.

I know that we have legitimacy already, but my point is paying a small amount of money in rego might put some of these knobs in their place.

Seems like wishful thinking to me - the knobs you're referring to didn't form their views based on laws & regulations

[warthog1]

Or an understanding of what registration pays for.

[trailgumby]

Legitimacy to the tradies and other knobs who gets antsy at the mere sight of cyclists on 'their' roads.

I know that we have legitimacy already, but my point is paying a small amount of money in rego might put some of these knobs in their place.

'
The drivers of this trope - the conservative media - will just find something else to focus on. The goal here is to marginalise active transport and public transport to support their motor industry clientelle. The motor industry accounts for 11% of a $7.1bn total ad spend - $780m (2017 numbers).

[tpcycle]

I'm pretty sure that the knobs who shout abuse wouldn't change their tune - that's the thing with ignorance, facts have no impact. So what if we all have to pay money? The knuckle dragger's won't think that cockroaches on wheels are legitimate road users - are you kidding me? And the Feral Hun will replace their calls for registration with calls for increased cost of registration. It really is a lose, lose situation. At least the police will have more low hanging fruit to pick - if that's your thing.

[Cyclophiliac]

What worries me is that, even though it's been proven by numerous studies that the cost of implementing bicycle registration far exceeds its benefits, the Australian government is quite likely to implement it regardless, on the reasoning that the cost of implementing it is worth the political browny-points they'd get. I think they're just about dumb enough to do something like that.

[queequeg]

What worries me is that, even though it's been proven by numerous studies that the cost of implementing bicycle registration far exceeds its benefits, the Australian government is quite likely to implement it regardless, on the reasoning that the cost of implementing it is worth the political browny-points they'd get. I think they're just about dumb enough to do something like that.

So, just like the Very Fast Train?

[Thoglette]

So, just like the Very Fast Train?

That’s the other way round: we do a study every few years but never build anything.

Removing trams, on the other hand.
See also the Beaching Axe for studies that result in blindingly stupid behaviour.

[AdelaidePeter]

Legitimacy to the tradies and other knobs who gets antsy at the mere sight of cyclists on 'their' roads.

I know that we have legitimacy already, but my point is paying a small amount of money in rego might put some of these knobs in their place.

'
The drivers of this trope - the conservative media - will just find something else to focus on. The goal here is to marginalise active transport and public transport to support their motor industry clientelle. The motor industry accounts for 11% of a $7.1bn total ad spend - $780m (2017 numbers).

You're reading way too much into this. They're just doing what sells papers and clicks.

[trailgumby]

Legitimacy to the tradies and other knobs who gets antsy at the mere sight of cyclists on 'their' roads.

I know that we have legitimacy already, but my point is paying a small amount of money in rego might put some of these knobs in their place.

'
The drivers of this trope - the conservative media - will just find something else to focus on. The goal here is to marginalise active transport and public transport to support their motor industry clientelle. The motor industry accounts for 11% of a $7.1bn total ad spend - $780m (2017 numbers).

You're reading way too much into this. They're just doing what sells papers and clicks.

Not really, News Corp is known to have a hit list of groups, demographics and individuals they target with a treatment known internally as "monstering". They're quite ruthless. This is not new information, it is well documented.

It is a long-standing practice that has been in place for decades, and it is pervasive throughout the culture of the organisation. I saw evidence of it when I was an audit junior there starting in 1980. Recent escapees' stories indicate that little has changed.

Murdoch is correct when he doesn't tell people what to write. He doesn't have to. Those who follow the boss's line get promoted and increases in pay. Those who don't languish. This is observed by everyone who works there, and the lesson is taken on board. Generally you don't get hired to middle and senior positions unless you are already on board with the boss's politics.

Andrew Neill's account of Murdoch's breaking of the unions in Fleet St and moving to Wapping is instructive, as is his account of them subsequently differing in their political views and ultimately parting ways.

[Thoglette]

UK Transport secretary's Grant Shapps’ bike licence plates proposal ‘a strange and pointless idea’

Even the UK AA doesn't support it

Edmund King, the AA president, said: “It is in the interests of all road users, and indeed our environment, that as a society we encourage more use of active travel, such as walking and cycling, and also the transition to zero emission vehicles.

[trailgumby]

UK Transport secretary's Grant Shapps’ bike licence plates proposal ‘a strange and pointless idea’

Even the UK AA doesn't support it

Edmund King, the AA president, said: “It is in the interests of all road users, and indeed our environment, that as a society we encourage more use of active travel, such as walking and cycling, and also the transition to zero emission vehicles.

This is what angers me about politics. Years of hard-fought policy gains erased by the idiocy of one self-serving tool, looking to curry favour with an industry so he can be assured of a soft, lucrative place to land for his post-politics retirement. This is grey corruption.

[g-boaf]

UK Transport secretary's Grant Shapps’ bike licence plates proposal ‘a strange and pointless idea’

Even the UK AA doesn't support it

Edmund King, the AA president, said: “It is in the interests of all road users, and indeed our environment, that as a society we encourage more use of active travel, such as walking and cycling, and also the transition to zero emission vehicles.

Stupid and pointless idea, just trying to gain benefits for himself.

[warthog1]

Not really, News Corp is known to have a hit list of groups, demographics and individuals they target with a treatment known internally as "monstering". They're quite ruthless. This is not new information, it is well documented.

It is a long-standing practice that has been in place for decades, and it is pervasive throughout the culture of the organisation. I saw evidence of it when I was an audit junior there starting in 1980. Recent escapees' stories indicate that little has changed.

Murdoch is correct when he doesn't tell people what to write. He doesn't have to. Those who follow the boss's line get promoted and increases in pay. Those who don't languish. This is observed by everyone who works there, and the lesson is taken on board. Generally you don't get hired to middle and senior positions unless you are already on board with the boss's politics.

Andrew Neill's account of Murdoch's breaking of the unions in Fleet St and moving to Wapping is instructive, as is his account of them subsequently differing in their political views and ultimately parting ways.

Great post.
Agreed, the tolerance this toxic individual gets defies logic.
Directly attempts to determine election results and has been pretty successful at it over the decades
Doesn't stop at politics either as you earlier pointed out.
Such a negative influence on our societal attitudes in so many ways, of which cycling is just one.

[robbo mcs]

UK Transport secretary's Grant Shapps’ bike licence plates proposal ‘a strange and pointless idea’

Even the UK AA doesn't support it

Edmund King, the AA president, said: “It is in the interests of all road users, and indeed our environment, that as a society we encourage more use of active travel, such as walking and cycling, and also the transition to zero emission vehicles.

The background to this is interesting. One area is introducing a speed limit of 20mph (32kmh) on narrow rural roads. This actually to me sounds like a great initiative, especially considering many rural lanes are barely wide enough for one vehicle. However, interestingly bicycles in the UK are not subject to speeding laws, so would only apply to motor vehicles.

On some cycling FB groups and cycling forums in the UK discussion has turned to how great it will be to be able to overtake cars etc, as we (riders) are not subject to speeding laws.

The backlash to that from some quarters has been that cycists should be subject to the speed limits. That is where this whole curent debate really came from.

Strange how an initiative about lowering speed limits and road safety played out this way.

[Thoglette]

The backlash to that from some quarters has been that cycists should be subject to the speed limits.

That’s called “false equivalency”. The speed limits are low because people-in-cars are killing and maiming. People-on-bicycles are not.