Fill her up with fuel - for $9!

29th August 2008
www.thedaily.com.au

It’s a head turner and a conversation starter. It saves loads of petrol money and its owner can almost always find a place to park it.

No wonder Michael Hughes loves his powder-blue 1963 Vespa. “I like it because it’s stylish,” he said.

His vintage, two-wheeler transports him from Noosa Outlook to work at Snack eatery in Noosa Junction each day. It costs him $9 to fill the tank, which he said lasted for about two weeks.

Mr Hughes is part of a growing scooter movement across Noosa and the Sunshine Coast. Sunshine Coast Regional Council has just replaced several car parks on Hastings Street with 25 new scooter parks, while up to 10 new scooter parks have been put in place at Noosa Junction.

Integrated transport planning leader Nigel Walker said the new parks were part of council’s scooter strategy. “Promoting scooter use is integral to maintaining a sustainable balance,” he said. “Scooters have less parking requirements, less greenhouse-gas emissions, less wear and tear on road networks.” He said if the new scooter parks were well used, the council would look at rolling out more of them. “It’s a supply and demand issue,” he said. “We didn’t want to put in 70 scooter parks if they don’t get used.

“We’ll encourage the use and, as the parking fills, then maybe we can take more space away from cars.” One car park can be converted into four scooter parks. Mr Walker said car users would need to accept scooters on the road, particularly as they grew in popularity. “People often don’t feel they want to share that road space,” he said. “The more we provide for them and make them attractive, car drivers will come to accept it.”

Mr Hughes said he was “all for” council’s scooter strategy, but scooter riders needed to be educated about safe riding practices before they hit the road.

SCOOTER STRATEGY

*Will be implemented from 2008-2012.
*Initiative of the former Noosa Shire Council and will be continued by Sunshine Coast Regional Council.
*About 35 new scooter parks have been rolled out in Noosa, with a look to converting more car parks.
*Council is in discussions about how the strategy can be implemented across the Coast.

http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2008/aug/29/fill-her-fuel-for-9/