By Marcus Uhe
Despite no longer being a formal event supported by the City of Casey, a convoy of motorcycle enthusiasts conducted their own informal GP run from Cranbourne to Phillip Island for last weekend’s Moto GP.
Police temporarily blocked a section of the South Gippsland Highway at the Cranbourne Homemakers Centre in order to safely facilitate the send-off of hundreds of riders.
The council announced in July that it would no longer host the annual event, citing cost pressures, the significant disruption to local traffic and concerns of local traders impacted by the closure of the South Gippsland Highway as justification.
Senior Sergeant at Dandenong Police Station Dave Hewett said the run was a good opportunity for police officers to mingle with members of the community and break down the barriers between the general public and authority figures, particularly in light of Motorcyclist Awareness Month in October.
“We’re current running a motorcycle safety operation regarding correct licensing requirements, safe riding and wearing the correct clothing,” Senior Sgt Hewett said.
Operation Blackwire was launched on 27 September across Casey, Cardinia and Greater Dandenong, targeting reckless motorcyclist behaviour on the back of unusually high numbers of injuries and incidents involving motorcyclists this year.
44 motorcyclists have died on Victorian roads in 2022 as of Monday 17 October, an increase of 14 from the 2021 calendar year and 15 higher than the five-year average.
The total includes a man who died on Narre Warren-Cranbourne road on Friday 22 July after he collided with a car.
