Thought I'd try to lift the quality of conversation regarding this salacious piece of rumour-mongering courtesy of the Sunshine Coast Daily. (Donga will probably understand this, and also if you're subscribed to the Bike-QLD list. Illicit sex acts in Queens Street Mall to win a bet? :eek: )
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State denies rego for bicycles 30.10.2006
http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3707406&thesection=localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection=
THE State Government has denied claims by a Sunshine Coast bike safety campaigner that it is considering introducing compulsory registration for bicycles. Former police officer and founder of the Stakki Stikka organisation, Carolyn Kerr, yesterday said "very credible" government sources had told her the government would soon make an announcement on the scheme as a way of funding cycling-related infrastructure.
And while the government was quick to deny the allegation, Ms Kerr said she had no doubt her information was true and government ministers would be upset the information had been leaked. The Stakki Stikka organisation works to encourage helmet wearing on all bikes and "small wheel devices" and Ms Kerr deals with a wide range of high-level government officials in her capacity as president.
A spokesperson for Transport Minister, Paul Lucas said the program was "not being considered", but Ms Kerr said she was not surprised by that. "I'm not surprised that the Minister's office has denied it because they would be furious that the information has come out in the first place," she said.
"(But) I would like to think that now they have denied it they can't turn around and try and introduce it later." Ms Kerr said the information came from one of the officials she deals with regularly and she decided to go public because the "community deserved to have a voice".
"From what I understand, after they have ironed out how they can enforce this on children, it will be implemented," she said. "I was pretty gobsmacked as well when I first heard it ... it's very disappointing." Ms Kerr said she had been told the registration of the bikes would pay for cycling-related infrastructure such as the new cycling transit centre in Brisbane.
"If this does happen it's going to affect the amount of people who ride bikes on the road, it will hit families who are already struggling with interest rate increases and what about the so-called obesity crisis?" She had written to the Transport Department director-general but had received no reply, she said. The Daily's calls to Premier Peter Beattie were not returned yesterday while Opposition MPs Fiona Simpson and Mark McArdle said they had not heard "any whispers" of the proposal.