Why do governments stick their heads in the sand over motorcycle issues, especially parking concessions which would actually help other motorists?
The Brisbane City Council has this week released a Brisbane Parking Taskforce report which has a range of “solutions” some of which include expensive electronic metering.
As for free motorcycle and scooter parking on footpaths, they fobbed it off because Brisbane’s footpaths are “too narrow”.
To be fair, they have a target of more than 1000 free motorcycle parking spaces in the CBD by 2016. But these are specific bays delineated by white lines which restrict the number of bikes that can squeeze in.
As it is, the available parking spaces are all gone by 7am each weekday.
If they deregulated and introduced guidelines like in Melbourne, a lot more bikes could park in the city, freeing up spaces for other motorists and reducing the number of cars going into the city. In fact, Melbourne is expanding on its motorcycle strategy.
READ MELBOURNE BIKE PARKING RULES
Meanwhile, the issue outside the CBD remains unresolved. You can’t even park a bike on the front footpath of your own home. And that’s pretty much standard right across the country!
Free footpath parking in MelbourneThe report does suggest making free all currently metered motorcycle parking bays outside the CBD. But there are so few of them, anyway.
Why can’t we simply park our bikes on a wide footpath or nature strip and use some common sense? Seriously, what is wrong with that?
Why do governments have to be so proscriptive and anal? How about a trial period where riders can park on footpaths? Then we’ll see how many complaints they receive, if any.
Meanwhile, to see a full list of Brisbane’s free motorcycle parks, click here.
If you want to find paid and free motorcycle parking in any Australian city, try the MCNetwork directory which has free apps for iPhone and Android.