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Quebec insurance rates spark spying charge
says it is angry that the province’s automobile insurance board hired a private firm to gather information about the group.
The board decided to monitor the group of motorcyclists after learning that a coalition of angry owners had been formed to fight huge insurance rate hikes.
The public relations firm ‘National’ was granted a contract to investigate the activities of the Front Commun Motocycliste, which had set up kiosks at a Quebec City motorcycle show. “They give the impression of being organised, documented and especially very motivated,” the firm stated in its two-page report after observing the group at the bike show. The report stated that the motorcycle owners were “dynamic and aggressive in their approach” with visitors. Members of the group were appalled to learn that the government would pay a private firm to monitor their activities. “We are outraged, flabbergasted and scandalized to learn that $6,000 in taxpayers’ money was used to spy on us. We are average taxpayers. We aren’t al-Qaeda,” said Éric Lessard, spokesman for the group. “The government is showing complete contempt for motorcycle owners.”
Motorcycle riders have protested vigorously against insurance rates that have doubled since 2007 for owners of average-size motorcycles and more than quadrupled to $1,414 a year for owners of high-powered motorcycles, considered more hazardous by the insurance board.
Germany has amended its Road Traffic Act in order to specify the weather conditions under which the use of winter tyres becomes compulsory. Now it states clearly: ‘In weather conditions of ice, snow, slush and frost a vehicle may only be used which is fitted with winter tyres (marked as M&S Tyres).’ "It would make no sense to oblige motorcyclists in Germany to use winter tyres, while in all countries with harder winter conditions, for example in Austria, motorcyclists are explicitly excluded from such regulations," says Olaf Biethan, Chairman of the German FEMA member BVDM. He added, "The few winter tyres on offer that bear an M&S mark, are almost all designed for use on Enduros and off-road machines. They have been designed for low power motorcycles which have a corresponding low weight load and are restricted in their top speed. They are only produced in a few special sizes which are not suitable for the most popular machines on the market. These tyres are only produced in low numbers which are only stocked by a few specialist dealers."
German motorcyclist associations had not been included in the law making process. It remains unclear whether the authorities deliberately included motorcycles in the scheme or if they just forgot to deal with two and three wheeled vehicles separately.
12 The ROAD
No hiding place An association of motorcycle owners in Quebec EU looks to pursue offenders across borders
In pursuit of its goal to halve European road deaths by 2020, the EU is toughening up on foreign drivers who commit motoring offences when abroad.
Possibly as early as 2013, drivers will be punished for traffic offences they commit abroad. European Commission Vice President Siim Kallas, responsible for Transport, said, "A foreign driver is three times more likely to commit an offence than a resident driver. Many people seem to think that when they go abroad the rules no longer apply to them. My message is that they do apply and now we are going to apply them."
EU figures suggest that foreign drivers account for 5% of traffic but around 15% of speeding offences. Most go unpunished, with countries unable to pursue drivers once they return home. The proposal for a directive on cross border enforcement in the field of road safety, aims to remedy that situation. Ministers have reached an agreement on a text that targets traffic offences with a critical impact on road safety, including the four ‘big killers’ that cause 75% of deaths.
Speeding, failing to stop at traffic lights, failing to wear seatbelts and drink driving, as well as driving under the influence of drugs, failing to wear safety helmets, illegal use of an emergency lane, illegal use of mobile phone while driving.
The proposals would enable EU drivers to be identified and thus prosecuted for offences committed in a member state other than the one where their vehicle is registered. In practical terms, the new rules will allow for an electronic data exchange network to be put in place to allow for the exchange of the necessary data between the country in which the offence was committed and the country in which the car was registered. Once the owner’s name and address are known, an offence notification, for which a model is established by the proposed directive, will be sent to the offender.
It will be for the member state where the
offence was committed to decide on the follow up for the traffic offence.
The Directive does not harmonise either the nature of the offence nor the penalties for the offence. So it is the national rules in the member state of offence, according to national law, which will continue to apply regarding both the nature of the offence and penalties.
What happens next?
The legislative proposals must be approved by MEPs in a vote in the European Parliament before becoming law. There is then a two year period for member states to transpose EU legislation before it comes into force, possibly by 2013.
German winter tyre rule Wellington threatens bike parking charges
Bikers say city streets will be clogged with thousands of protesters if Wellington City Council proceeds with suggestions to scrap free on-street parking for motorcycles. If it goes ahead the move would make
Wellington the first city in New Zealand to charge motorcycle parking fees. The council is also considering whether to remove motorcycle parking from the streets and make bikers park for a set fee in parking buildings.
Bikers' Rights Organisation of New Zealand
Wellington president Brent Hutchison said there was “sheer red-hot anger” within the biker community over both suggestions. Mr Hutchison organised the 2009 protest ride
to Wellington by more than 6,500 riders over an increase in ACC levies. “We will turn to our allies, the Motorcycle Action Group of New Zealand, and we will let them take over if negotiations fail. These guys will protest and they will roll thousands of bikes into the city. Motorcycles are proven to be better for the environment than cars, and cause less road congestion, but council officers disputed those points,” Mr Hutchison said. A council by-law prohibits motorcycles and scooters from being parked in either metered or pay-and-display parks, in recognition of free parking for bikes.
The council estimates about 1100 motorbikes come into the central city daily – a 178% increase in the past decade. There is free parking for 500 on streets.
Council infrastructure director Stavros Michael said it was expected that the number of motorbikes and scooters coming into the city would continue to grow. If more on-street car parks were added to the existing 500 to meet demand, then the council would consider imposing a charging regime. “With the current economic climate, it is not sustainable to continue to increase the amount of free spaces for motorcycles at the expense of fee-paying car-parking. “Ultimately, the revenue required to maintain the road network would have to be funded from other sources, and we need to consider the burden on ratepayers,” said Michael. The council controls only 10% of available parking space in the city. Mayor Celia Wade-Brown said the council was talking to the operators of privately owned parking buildings about offering more off-street parking for motorcyclists. “They can park their motorcycles under cover, without them being backed into or blown over, for about $2 a day," she said. Formal consultation with motorcycle groups starts soon as part of the council's review of its parking policy.
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