oxonabike wrote:In Cairns we have the Down Under tour coaches with the 1.5 meter message on a huge sign on the rear of each bus. I fancy I might have even seen one on a commuter Sunbus. However, yesterday riding around town I noticed a huge, predominantly pink and black AGF pass cyclist safely sign with 1 metre message on the side of a Sunbus. Was huge too, full height and width equal to height. I wonder if it was a paid advert? Dunno if I should be happy that these messages are getting out there, or annoyed that there is a persistence with the less popular 1 metre message.
You're annoyed? Ever since the AGF has ccontacted me to discuss our future "arrangement" for using the "a metre matters" slogan on our cycling kit due to it's copyrighting, the rift has grown rapidly. Until this point the AGF had seen for to us to handle Qld affairs.
The subsequent dogging of SCA since that date including several matters which the AGF have threatened SCA and myself personally with defamation for mentioning, has now recently included such random tactics as the (as far as we know) bus (singular) in Cairns to offset and undermine everything that has happened in FNQ as a result of the good work they've done in supporting and charging ahead with #survive1point5, including Down Under Tours' 8 interstate coaches.
FNQ supports 1.5, the RACQ supports 1.5, Triathlon Qld supports 1.5, Shimano Auestralia have supported 1.5 through their links to stories from FNQ and the Cairns Post, and we are still awaiting confirmation that Audax Australia will officially support 1.5 as well. We also know that many senior members of all of the Qld clubs that the AGF made sure were contacted via Cycling Australia for their support of "a metre matters" in response to the 1.5 campaign supported 1.5 despite CA's subtle hints not to. We were sent 6 emails/DM's/messages to alert us to the email sent by CA the day all Qld clubs received it. The petition sponsoring MP Bruce Flegg was also met behind SCA's back by the AGF with no valid reason or justification being given to this point and never publicised. If Bruce hasn't alerted me to the appointment being made by the AGF prior to the date we would have had no idea at all.
Most importantly, The Pollett family and the Pollett Foundation support 1.5, and the most successful campaign in Australian history which has been able to force the Qld Government to undertake a review of state RR's for cyclists with a specific focus on minimum safe passing distance legislation, with the overwhelming support of Qld's cycling community has been based around the push for 1.5m.
All that the urgent 1m push into Qld has succeeded in doing IMO is to undermine the only successful campaign ever in Australia for adding distances at the expense of Qld's cycling community.
In my opinion - and I am more than entitled to it AGF - their interests would have been better served in making a submission to Victoria's own current broader road safety inquiry, but instead you will find that not a single Victorian cycling organisation has made a submission to this inquiry. Submissions have now closed and unless one o the late submissions not yet published is indeed from a Victorian cycling body, then the cycling community in that state should be asking some very serious questions.