We'd all like to have a cleaner, safer, less car-congested city to live and cycle in, but this most bizarre proposal surely only goes against the development of a more cycle-friendly urban environment.
The cost of registration will, in particular, hit those on low incomes, and those with large families who will have to register several bikes. It will also discourage occasional cyclists in the capital as well as those who would like to visit London and ride a bike. Any such scheme will be bureaucratic, costly and impossible to enforce in a city with more than 650,000 regular cyclists and more than 450,000 cycle journeys per day. What we need in London are improved conditions for cyclists on the roads.
This registration proposal might discourage cycle use in London and force cyclists back into their cars or on to hard pressed public transport.
Some have already written to the Mayor.
Ken's (automated) reply:
Dear Sir/Madam
Thank you for your email.
Since 2000 Transport for London's has committed a significant increase
in investment in cycling - from 5.5 million in 2000 to 26 million this
year. This has enabled a massive expansion of cycle lanes, bike parking
and routes through parks and canals. This has resulted in an
unprecedented increase in cycling in London, up by over 72 per cent in
the last five years. It is my aim to continue to promote cycling in
London.
Whilst the vast majority of road users follow the rules, there is a
small minority who are irresponsible and do not show courtesy to others.
This applies to motor vehicles parking in cycle lanes or monopolising
the 'advance stop' space allocated for cyclists at junctions - and it
also applies to cyclists going through red lights and riding on the
pavement.
Transport for London have been looking at ways to address these issues
and will shortly be launching a 'Share the Road' campaign, encouraging
all road-users to obey Traffic Regulations and advising them of the
penalties for not doing so. I hope that this campaign will lead to
better standards of driving and riding and a greater level of courtesy
shown by road users to one another. However, it is expected that
targeted police enforcement will still be required to catch cyclists and
drivers who refuse to obey the rules of the road.
I do not want to have to introduce a registration scheme but other road
users -particularly pedestrians - are increasingly frustrated with the
small number of cyclists who break the rules. Therefore, responsible
cyclists and cycling organisations must work with me to persuade the
minority of cyclists who do not currently obey the rules of the road to
take a more responsible approach.
Yours sincerely
Ken Livingstone
Mayor of London
Write to the Mayor:
mayor@london.gov.uk
His transport strategy:
www.london.gov.uk/mayor/transport/cycling.jsp
London Cycling Campaign:
www.lcc.org.uk
and don't forget to join the Critical Mass:
http://www.criticalmasslondon.org.uk/
The cost of registration will, in particular, hit those on low incomes, and those with large families who will have to register several bikes. It will also discourage occasional cyclists in the capital as well as those who would like to visit London and ride a bike. Any such scheme will be bureaucratic, costly and impossible to enforce in a city with more than 650,000 regular cyclists and more than 450,000 cycle journeys per day. What we need in London are improved conditions for cyclists on the roads.
This registration proposal might discourage cycle use in London and force cyclists back into their cars or on to hard pressed public transport.
Some have already written to the Mayor.
Ken's (automated) reply:
Dear Sir/Madam
Thank you for your email.
Since 2000 Transport for London's has committed a significant increase
in investment in cycling - from 5.5 million in 2000 to 26 million this
year. This has enabled a massive expansion of cycle lanes, bike parking
and routes through parks and canals. This has resulted in an
unprecedented increase in cycling in London, up by over 72 per cent in
the last five years. It is my aim to continue to promote cycling in
London.
Whilst the vast majority of road users follow the rules, there is a
small minority who are irresponsible and do not show courtesy to others.
This applies to motor vehicles parking in cycle lanes or monopolising
the 'advance stop' space allocated for cyclists at junctions - and it
also applies to cyclists going through red lights and riding on the
pavement.
Transport for London have been looking at ways to address these issues
and will shortly be launching a 'Share the Road' campaign, encouraging
all road-users to obey Traffic Regulations and advising them of the
penalties for not doing so. I hope that this campaign will lead to
better standards of driving and riding and a greater level of courtesy
shown by road users to one another. However, it is expected that
targeted police enforcement will still be required to catch cyclists and
drivers who refuse to obey the rules of the road.
I do not want to have to introduce a registration scheme but other road
users -particularly pedestrians - are increasingly frustrated with the
small number of cyclists who break the rules. Therefore, responsible
cyclists and cycling organisations must work with me to persuade the
minority of cyclists who do not currently obey the rules of the road to
take a more responsible approach.
Yours sincerely
Ken Livingstone
Mayor of London
Write to the Mayor:
mayor@london.gov.uk His transport strategy:
www.london.gov.uk/mayor/transport/cycling.jsp
London Cycling Campaign:
www.lcc.org.uk
and don't forget to join the Critical Mass:
http://www.criticalmasslondon.org.uk/
Comments
Hide the following 8 comments
the reluctance of a mayor
17.08.2006 15:05
Before he starts (unwillingly) registering and licensing pedestrians too I think we should send Ken on a fact finding mission to China to see how they cope, and he should be obliged to cycle there and back.
bmx bandit
Why Ken doesn't ride
17.08.2006 17:01
So it's unlikely he'll ride to China, or even roll down to the Thames from Cricklewood one glorious summer's morning.
But Ken is very much a ped and public transport user. I wouldn't be surprised if some personal near miss with some unfortunate recent cyclist was behind this, and who can blame him? There are idiots out there using every mode of transport, and cycling is certainly no exception.
What Ken lacks is the cyclists' perspective: I think if he did ride a bike for a few weeks (as he doubtless quite capable of doing: if you can walk without difficulty you can learn to ride a bike without difficulty) he might start to take a different view.
At least he remains convinced of the environmental and health arguments for cycling: what we need to do is show him through exemplary courteous behaviour that there's no need to come over all Stalinist (again).
Dougie
e-mail:
dougie@navarino.org.uk
Homepage:
http://navarino.org.uk:8080/blog
Red Lights & Cyclists
18.08.2006 09:15
In the past year I have attended a number of traffic accidents involving cyclists and other road users. In one such accident the cyclist had gone through a red lights whilst pedestrains were, correctly, crossing the road. The cyclist had hit an elderly lady with such force that her foot was severed at the ankle and was now only attached by a thread, it is still one of the most disguting things I have seen, there was blood everywhere. This is by no means the only pedestrian casualty of a cycling accident I have seen.
I have also been to several accidents involving cyclists and cars. Whilst a few can be attributed to the driver, for example not looking before opening the door, more can be attributed to the cyclist themselves. Cyclists going through red lights only to be hit by a car going through a green light, cyclists not looking before changing lanes or going past cars turning left on the inside (not in a cycle lane and with the car already half way through the turn before the cyclist tried to get past) can all, in some way at least, be attributed to the cyclist themselves. And to say that the only person injured is the cyclist is simply not true - think about the shock and other emotional injury (for want of a better phrase) to the drivers involved.
I regularly cycle to work and I stop for red traffic lights. However, there is a large percentage of cyclists who I see on may route who do not. During my working day whilst out on patrol I see far too many cyclists not stopping for red traffic lights, regardless of the consequences to themselves or other road users. I have recently started to stop cylists who do not obey traffic regulations (if not on my way to other calls) and point out to them the offence. The vast majority of cyclists I speak to seem to be under the impression that the rules do not apply to them.
This probably all seems like I am moaning against all cyclists. I'm not - lets not forget I only notice and speak to those who dont obey the rules! Licensing is a terrible idea, it will cost a fortune and achieve nothing. However, more needs to be done so that cyclists who do not obey the rules are brought into line - they give a bad name to everybody else if nothing else, and all too often are dangerous.
InnerLondon PC
red lights
18.08.2006 11:38
bianchi
Hullo Mr PC
18.08.2006 20:43
Media reports nowadays report 'collisions' between pedestrians and cars, presumably choosing the word 'collision' to avoid assigning blame for legal reasons. However, no collision between a car and a pedestrian ends in the car-driver dying. In a similar way no collision between cyclist and a driver ends in anything but injury to the cyclist. Cyclists and pedestrians should always have the right-of-way over drivers simply for safetys sake. Pedestrians have the paths and streets to themselves, cyclists are forbidden from riding there. If a cyclist hits a pedestrian on a pavement, or on a pedestrian road-crossing then the cyclist is to blame, as in the case you mention. If a cyclist hits either a car or a pedestrian at any other time then you should give the cyclist the benfit of the doubt. If you disagree with me, visit Amsterdam and watch the traffic there and check out the statistics. I bet most cops have seen worse car accidents than they have seen bike accidents though any incident can haunt you.
bmx bandit
So Ken wants to put number plates on our bikes now!
19.08.2006 15:09
I suppose this is a natural escalation of the big brother mentality that runs our lives, from tracking every movement in your car to knowing where you are and who you are talking to on your phone, they would not go to all this trouble and then let you roam around free on your bike, would they?.
I can remember cheering Ken’s speeches at the big anti war demos, but now think he is just an opportunist that used this to get popularity. I too think New Labour are Stalinist and a danger to our freedoms
We will be getting V Chips for our bikes next! It is also strange that this is not the only attack on cycling freedoms in the U.K. I live in a town called Telford in Shropshire, which has just had a case of bike battering of its very own. I refer to another disgraceful decision by that scoundrel district judge Bruce Morgan.
“Daniel Cadden of Telford was fined £300 by district judge Bruce Morgan for “inconsiderate cycling” after Cadden supposedly held up cars on the West Centre Way in Telford. Cadden had been stopped by police after he was cycling fast downhill on his journey home from work at Telford Town Centre.” According to the Cyclist’s Defence Fund, they also stated that “CTC Director, Kevin Mayne, said “The police at the scene said that Daniel should have been cycling well over to the left – effectively in the gutter – but the judge felt that Daniel should have crossed three lanes of busy traffic and used a segregated cycle track to save fractions of seconds off the journey times of a few motorists.”.
Mind you this is the guy that let off a copper for dangerous driving and speeding, the copper Mark Milton was showing off and driving at crazy speeds around our town, 84mph in a 30mph zone and over 154mph on the M54. Bruce Morgan said that the copper had to practice his skills.
I made a decision a few years ago to take up cycling, I live near a railway station, so in theory can do with out a car most of the time, but with news like this I find it very disheartening.
Just proves once again that we have laws in the U.K. that can be applied selectively and that we do live in a dark Orwellian state.
Mark Wood
Homepage:
http://www.tagworld.com/Marky-aCe
Cyclists not stopping at red lights
22.08.2006 13:51
Ted Maul
Cycle Registrations
30.08.2006 05:55
As far as registrations go...
Japan requires registration of all bicycles and it doesn't seem to deter cycling there.
Honolulu requires registration of all bicycles with 20" wheels (or larger) as do many other American towns and cities.
To quote the relevant bits from the Charleston, North Carolina City Ordinance
Charleston, North Carolina, City Ordinances.
Sec. 19-101 Registration required.
The owner or operator of every bicycle operated or furnished for operation or use, or which is used by either the owner or any other person on the streets or public places in the city shall cause such bicycle to be registered at the police department, giving the make, model, number and other such description as may be feasible, on a form to be furnished by the police department, which shall be kept on file.
Sec. 19-102 License tags; issuance; attachment to bicycle.
There shall be issued for each such bicycle registered, as provided in this division, a paper decal license tag containing a number and other appropriate identification information. This paper decal license tag shall be attached to the bicycle for which it was issued.
Tony
e-mail:
ellis.tony@gmail.com