The Motorcycle Riders Association (MRA) of Victoria is up in arms over a proposal to require Aussie bikers to affix license plates to the front of their motorcycles so that they can be identified from the front for tolls and for speed cameras.

MRA Victorian president Alex Money said the group is planning a protest to alert the general public as to how much money the government would waste in the move. "We just want the public to know the Victorian government is spending $14 million to introduce motorcycle front number plates," he explained, noting that speed cameras in New South Wales take photographs from behind.

Tollway operator Transurban has said it would consider introducing motorcycle tolls if bikes could be photographed from the front.

As cameras become more and more ubiquitous in developed countries, and are used as a source of raising revenue, this is inevitable.

The UK is now experimenting with tiny cameras in the cat's eyes reflectors in the road linked to real-time computers which will measure not only speed of drivers and riders but will also do things like check whether their tyres have the legal amount of tread on them, record defective lights, check with the central computer records whether the car is licensed and insured and has a current safety inspection certificate.

Already speed cameras are now photographing the driver so he can't say it wasn't him and someone else was driving that day.

Orwellian it may seem but the technology is there to do it.

One of the main reasons for the (attempted)reintroduction of the front plate here in West Aust is so that the speeding bike can be identified by the multa nova speed camera...
Now I blame some riders for this as they just can't help themselves...
These twits ride through the camera's doing stupid speeds in the built up area's and flip the finger to the camera...
Some will even go around the block so they can pop a wheelie for the camera...
Unfortunately because of this stupidity the call for front plates is growing...

Now to point out to the govt that it is not neccesary to reintroduce the front plate because they now have the owner onus option(if you weren't in charge of the vehicle at the time of offence you must name who was-identified in the pic- or pay the penalty yourself) is pointless as they don't want to know...
This option was brought in to stop the "I don't know who was driving syndrome" by the companies...
What has this to do with front plates you ask???
All they have to do is to reprogram the camera's so that they can take the picture from behind the bike and then the owner onus comes into play...and no front plate is required...

OT but what did you do to deserve getting sent to Port Hedland? I did 4 months in Derby by the way LOL!

Had a brother working up here at back in the late 70's and 80's, whilst looking for work once he suggested I try up in Hedland and been stuck here since...working for the big "un"Australian - BHPBilliton...
For the work I do the money is very good but to head back down south I doubt I would find a reasonable job at about a third of what I get now...one powerball though and I'm outa here:*
Was in Derby once when I worked for the State Energy Commission(Western Power now), we did a working trip to Derby and Broome for a couple of months, wasn't overly impressed with either town but Broome is still better than this place...good people up there though...
Also whilst working for the SEC I managed to get sent to other holes like "Gasp" Marble Bar , Robourne and Wittenoom "Gasp"...
I am getting sick of the red dirt too, horrible stuff that it is...