We the undersigned, call on The Hon. Terence Mulder, Minister for Roads, The Hon. Ted Baillieu, Premier of Victoria, to take immediate action to amend or enact new laws, that require all bicycle riders using their bikes for general travel on Victorian roads, over the age of 18, and not participating in an officially organised bicycle competition, be required by law to sit a state government approved riding course and be certified in the knowledge of all road rules, be deemed safe to use of their vehicle by paying both a registration fee incorporating the TAC insurance premium and paying for an official Victorian bicycle licence issued by Vic Roads to be implemented as soon as possible.
We the undersigned call for these actions and measures to be taken for various reasons, consisting of the following listed below, because there is no legislation that requires bicycle riders to have owned a vehicle or know the road rules to be able to own and operate a bicycle on the streets and roads of Victoria, which causes major concerns with a major lack of knowledge of the road laws.
Also, vehicles pay TAC insurance premiums for vehicle accidents where somebody is injured, but the motor vehicles on the roads are paying the medical expenses for accidents and injuries caused by people on bicycles that are not required to know, understand or abide by the rules of the road, or other laws relating to bicycle use. It is also impossible for people to report the illegal actions of a bicycle rider as there is no way of identifying or tracing them without some form of licencing and registration plate system.
It is our desire, that with the increased number of bicycles being used on Victorian Roads for general travel to work and other places that the time has come to ensure that the riders of bikes are aware of the road rules and are accountable for understanding and abiding by them.
