Rider training program faces axe

Gold Coast City Council has confirmed that funding is not guaranteed past June 30 for Safe Motorcycle Advanced Rider Training courses which last year won the inaugural Australian Road Safety Awards.

Gold Coast police traffic branch officer in charge Snr Sgt Bradyn Murphy said it would be disappointing if the course was closed down as it had contributed to reducing the region's motorcycle rider toll from 25 in 2007 when it began to four this year.

The $45 courses are subsidised 50 per cent by council but are open to all riders, including those from interstate, who use the region's roads, not just ratepayers.

Council traffic management and operations manager Tyrone Gerada confirmed that the course was not guaranteed funding after June 30. "There's no certainty that it will and no certainty that it won't," he said.

Council has sent letters to riders who have signed up for the course after June 30, offering them a refund if the courses do not go ahead.

Gerada confirmed that although funding was assessed on an annual basis, this is the first time such letters had been sent.

In November Gold Coast City Council was presented with the Australian Road Safety Founder's Award for Outstanding Achievement (Overall Award) and the Local Government Award.

The judging panel included University of NSW Road Safety chair Professor Raphael Grzebieta, international road safety expert Robert Klein and National Transport Commission senior manager Jeff Potter.

Rather than just teaching riding skills, the SMART courses - which have been held fortnightly from March to September - focus on road craft and the mental approach to riding.