By Allon Lee
LONGDISTANCE, scooterriding world record holder Julio Languiller believes escalating petrol prices prove the need for changes to motorcycle licensing laws.
“You spend on a scooter about $10 a week in petrol, compared with $50 or $60, which most people spend on their cars,” he said.
The St Albans resident said his two world records earlier this year – riding a 50cc and 125cc fourstoke machine for 24 hours straight – were aimed at promoting scooters as realistic alternatives to gasguzzling cars.
“If you live between 20 and 30 kilometres from the city, you’d be crazy to drive a car in because you can park a scooter without paying,” Mr Languiller said.
“Put a chain around it, lock it up. And all you need is a helmet and a jacket and a good pair of gloves.”
He said the environmental and cost benefits, convenience, effect on road congestion and performance cannot be matched.
Mr Languiller said for $3000, motorists can buy a 125cc bike capable of reaching 100km/h and carrying two people.
“A full tank of petrol is five litres, costs $5 and will carry a rider 200 kilometres at 100 kilometres an hour.
“You don’t have to be a genius to do the numbers,” he said, adding that a 50cc bike capable of 60km/h retails for $1600.
But Mr Languiller is irked that VicRoads and the Victorian government put scooters in the same class as highspeed motorbikes.
“We have a licence for cars, we have a licence for manual and automatic cars and we have a licence for buses.
“Trucks and heavy trucks are different from articulated trucks, so we need a special scooter licence, too,” Mr Languiller said, explaining that he believes car licences should be adequate for riding a scooter.
“In some European countries you don’t need a licence to ride scooters, only a minimum age.
“In other countries you need a scooter licence, it’s not a motorbike licence.”
He believes safety arguments discouraging people from riding scooters were nonsense.
“Then I say why don’t you ban surfing? Why don’t you ban cigarettes?” Mr Languiller asked.
As a next step, the record breaker intends to organise a petition, and will write a letter to Transport Minister Peter Batchelor.
“I am serious about this. The transportation law needs updating from time to time, and we can’t put this in the toohard basket,” he said.
People interested in contacting Julio Languiller can email julioscooterhotmail.com.
