New Zealand bikers unite to protest motorcycle insurance hikes

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New Zealand bikers unite to protest motorcycle insurance hikes
An estimated 5,000 bikers turn up at New Zealand's Parliament to protest

November 18th, 2009

Bikers came together and changed the mind of New Zealand's government over a proposed insurance hike.

The most recent rally saw 5,000 motorcycle enthusiasts gather at New Zealand's Parliament building in the city of Wellington. Considered the most significant protest against the Accident Compensation Corporation and the levy increases that had been proposed.

The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) provides comprehensive, no-fault personal injury cover for all New Zealand residents and visitors to New Zealand. The controversies began when the ACC requested an increase in fees for riders claiming the organization had paid more than $62 million for motorcycle riders last year but only collecting $12.3 million in levies from them.

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But bikers counter the ACC collected $4.2 billion in levies and only paid just $3.1 billion in claims in the latest year.

Motorcycle enthusiasts further claimed many of the accidents are the fault of drivers, who aren't facing a such a large increase in fees.

With so many bikers turning up at the Parliament buildings, the New Zealand government is unlikely to introduce the recommended levy increases on bikers according to ACC Minister Nick Smith, commenting after the large protest rally.

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The crowds were so surprising large and loud the focus of the rally, ACC Minister Dr. Smith was later seen flanked by the police bodyguards usually reserved for the country's Prime Minister.

The protest ride saw motorcycle from 50 cc's to large cruisers come together to protest being singled out for annual levy rises of between $198 for mopeds and $493 for 600cc-plus machines.

Counted among the crowd was a politician, Labour MP Rick Barker, clad in full leathers riding his Triumph Rocket III to the event.

"We hope to send to the government that we're not going to tolerate this. We're going to stand up and we're going to say these levies are ridiculous, a ridiculous increase to what we should be paying," Nat Voight told local reporters.

For all the noise police said the protest was an orderly affair, with the bikers being well behaved and there were no arrests.

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