Tag Archives: nrma

The worst of motorcycling on Australian roads

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The Australian motorcycle market has grown a whopping 70 per cent in the last five years. 129,966 bikes were sold in 2007 alone, and despite interest rate rises and decreased consumer spending, first quarter sales in 2008 are already up 4.9 per cent compared to last year.

Whether you’ve jumped on a bike for the love or as a money-saving transport alternative, motorcycles are becoming increasingly prevalent. However, with the good there’s always the bad. There’s no shortage of motorcycles on our roads, but are they being accommodated?

There’s a fair contingent of motorcycle riders in the NRMA offices. Asking around, they all spoke of the practicalities of owning a bike and the fun that comes with it. But they also had their criticisms:

  • • Rough roads: Poor road surfaces make riding difficult and damage tyres. Having to be wary of potholes and debris is a distraction and compromises safety.
  • • Lack of motorcycle friendly roads: Outside Sydney there are some good roads, but not in metropolitan Sydney.
  • • Other motorists: Despite more bikes on the road, education about sharing the road with them has not increased.
  • • Tolls: The current E-tag attachment is not appropriate for motorcycles.

Having started the ball rolling, we’d love to know what you find difficult about riding a motorcycle in Australia?

Check out our Two Wheels section for motorcycle and scooter reviews and news.

Would you catch the train if you could Park and Ride?

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A new report from NRMA Motoring & Services has found that the main reason motorists don’t catch the train to work is due to a lack of sufficient and secure parking facilities at train stations.

43 per cent of those surveyed said they would use ‘Park and Ride’ facilities if they were provided. But the report found that some of the busiest stations in NSW are severely lacking in adequate parking:

  • • Strathfield 23 spaces – 10,700 commuters. 
  • • Hornsby 350 spaces – 7,290 commuters.
  • • Parramatta 780 spaces – 15,190 commuters.
  • • Bankstown 170 spaces – 4,720 commuters.
  • • Kogarah 330 spaces – 6,770 commuters.

“More than 80 per cent of motorists currently drive to work – we could get that number down considerably if motorists were given the option of driving to the station and parking in a secure, well-lit parking space,” NRMA President Alan Evans said.

He said it would be a great way to get motorists off the road and onto trains, reducing traffic congestion and pollution.

Transport Minister John Watkins said the NSW Government is expanding park and ride facilities at Seven Hills, St Marys, Glenfield, Werrington, Holdsworthy, Blacktown and Wenthworthville.

The report also showed that some of Sydney’s busiest stations don’t have any ‘Kiss and Ride’ areas – legal and safe areas for dropping off and picking up that would allow people to get a lift to the station rather than drive.

Would you catch a train to work if there were proper parking facilities at the train station?

Epping Road’s cycleway – good, bad or mad?

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NRMA Motoring & Services’ President Alan Evans last week questioned the logic and safety of the proposed $7.5 million cycleway on Epping Road (SMH 14/01/08). Given that only a small number of cyclists use it, compared with the 35,000 cars each day, he said that motorists face severe congestion between Mowbray and Longueville Roads when Epping Road is converted to a singe lane of traffic, a bus lane and a cycleway.

Alan Evans states that the NRMA supports cyclists where it is safe but “imposing cycleways on major arterial roads and worsening traffic congestion in the process simply does not make sense.”

He believes that placing the cycleway next to a heavily congested arterial is not the best or safest option for Epping Road. The cycleway could create more congestion by constricting the width and number of traffic lanes. If there is a crash in the Lane Cove tunnel and traffic is diverted to the single lane on Epping Road, cars and buses could be queued back to the city.

Some of the NRMA’s suggestions forwarded to the RTA include converting the bus lane into a T2 lane to encourage car pooling and widening the traffic lanes.

Have your say about the planned cycleway for Epping Road.

Read the full article here

Female Friendly mechanics

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A new Adelaide business called Female Friendly Mechanics has created an accreditation system giving a pink tick to mechanics’ workshops they deem to be female friendly.

The business not only gets those dirty pictures off the wall, but also looks at things like clean restrooms, waiting rooms that cater for women and their children, and makes sure that any problems with your car are explained in terms you can understand.

With the amount of customers a workshop will have day to day, it is in their best interests to look after their female clientele – after all, customers make the books balance and keep the business alive. But as everyone with a car knows, this isn’t always how it goes…

Your experiences

When the mechanic or Service Advisor spoke to you did they explain what the problem was? Did they say whether it was a safety issue that needed immediate attention or if it was something that could wait until next service?
 
When additional work had to be done, were you consulted prior to the work being carried out? Or did you find out after the job was been done, thus being given a bill that you were not prepared for?

Did the language used to describe faults with your car mean nothing to you, or was it explained in a way that made you feel well informed and comfortable with your decision to carry out the repair?

We would like to hear about any experiences, both good and bad, that you may have encountered with workshops.

LPG vs. Petrol

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So you’ve done all your calculations and decided to convert your car to LPG like over 700,000 other Australians. It sounds good in theory and the government rebate of $2000 is a great help. The fuel figures show your savings in dollars will have your conversion paid off within a year or two depending on your vehicle and the mileage done. But have you got all the facts?

Environmental impact

The environment is another winner in the change you have made by lowering greenhouse emissions. The Australian Greenhouse Office website states that the mass of CO2 gas released of the exhaust pipe by the burning of one litre of fuel is:

  • 2.3 kg for Petrol
  • 1.5 kg for LPG.

LPG = Less kilometres per litre

You can expect a 20-30 per cent increase in gas consumption over petrol per kilometre because the lower energy content of gas requires more to be burned in the engine compared with petrol.

Excise

There is no government excise until July 2011. But then the price of LPG will gradually rise over 5 years.

The excise will increase as follows:

  • 1 July 2011 initial excise of 2.5 cents per litre
  • 1 July 2012 excise increases to 5.0 cents per litre
  • 1 July 2013 excise increases to 7.5 cents per litre
  • 1 July 2014 excise increases to 10.0 cents per litre
  • 1 July 2015 excise increases to 12.5 cents per litre

In knowing all this, is or was a change to LPG worth it?

Do all the figures add up and, despite the cost savings, has your vehicle’s power and torque suffered? Is it less efficient when towing or carrying heavy loads, especially on long trips and going up hills?