Should road bicycle users/cyclists be taxed and insured?

[rendelharris]

jimlad48 Wrote:

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> I would look for a mandatory cycling test, in same

> way as driving test is mandatory - and L plates

> too for those that have yet to pass it.

The driving test is mandatory because cars are extremely dangerous, frequently lethal, machines if not handled responsibly and with a modicum of expertise (not that one would think that's required, from empirical observation). Bicycles do not, except in exceptionally rare and tragic incidents, pose anything like the same danger. A bicycle is extremely simple to ride and so doesn't require an ability assessment in the same way car driving does (I don't deny some people ride bicycles irresponsibly or even illegally, but few ride them badly - bloody hell, even I'm quite good at it). You might say that having to pass a test would make cyclists more aware of the rules of the road; please go out and stand by any busy road around here and watch the behaviour of car drivers, all of whom have passed a driving test, and come back and tell me that passing a test is in any way a guarantor of sensible behaviour on the roads. The substantial majority of cyclists (85%) already have driving licences anyway, so have undergone tests of the same requirements of theory and awareness.

> I would also look for mandatory cyclist

> registration number on bikes to enable easy

> identification of cyclists who break the Highway

> code. I think this may make the attitudes more

> accountable.

Where are you going to put registration plates large enough to be seen on a bicycle? That's just silly.

>

> Said as someone who within the last week has been

> threatened with a beating up by a cyclist for

> politely asking them to ride on the road, not the

> pavement.

I was threatened with being beaten up two weeks ago on Rye Lane because I politely suggested to someone that they could put their MacDonald's carton in the bin rather than throwing it into the gutter. Should we have compulsory registration for pedestrians, or fast food consumers? Twats is twats, walking, on bikes, in cars...but somehow many people seem to think it's OK to hold cyclists to a higher standard of accountability than any other section of the community.

Fortunately however much you and the rest of the cycle-hating brigade demand it, it's never going to happen. Go and look at the numbers of people KSI by car drivers as opposed to cyclists, then have a look at the numbers of people killed by pollution-related diseases, and have a think about whether a silly campaign to put numberplates on bicycles is really the most important issue related to road use in this country right now.

[rendelharris]

exdulwicher Wrote:

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> Remember this one:

> https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshi

> re-40134629

>

> Pretty clear cut case of driving without due care

> & attention (maybe even dangerous driving),

> injuries caused - no prosecution. "Just an

> accident". Oopsy.

How about driving with three defective tyres, skidding on black ice and killing four cyclists, ?160 fine and six points on his licence: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/5241798.stm

I've long said that if you want to murder someone in this country, don't bother hatching an intricate plot, just wait until they're on a bicycle and then hit them with a car, it'll cost you a week's wages at most.

[edcam]

Well I?d be quite happy to see a large increase in penalties for drivers and cyclists. Dangerous and selfish behaviour is becoming far to commonplace among both groups.

rendelharris Wrote

> You'd be surprised how few traffic lights do have

> them; according to t'internet, the only junctions

> with red light cameras anywhere near this

> neighbourhood are the Village Way/ED Grove

> junctions and the Champion/DK Hill junction. The

> little cameras on top of traffic lights are just

> for traffic management, not enforcement - red

> light cameras require a complex setup of

> below-tarmac sensors and so are costly and

> troublesome to set up, which explains their

> rarity.

[malumbu]

Here's a radical suggestion, rather than witter on about dangerous cyclists, and micro-chipping them and their bikes, go and get some cycle training. This is aimed both at cyclists and dare I say professional drivers. Would be good to hear from some of the latter who have done this. https://www.cycleconfident.com/sponsors/southwark/

[rendelharris]

malumbu Wrote:

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> Here's a radical suggestion, rather than witter on

> about dangerous cyclists, and micro-chipping them

> and their bikes, go and get some cycle training.

> This is aimed both at cyclists and dare I say

> professional drivers. Would be good to hear from

> some of the latter who have done this.

> https://www.cycleconfident.com/sponsors/southwark/

Mrs H did it when she got back into cycling after twenty years (and ten years of me nagging) and it did wonders for her; it turned her from someone who would only ride offroad or on cyclepaths to someone who now happily cycles right round the Place de la Bastille (and if you can ride round there you can ride anywhere). It also, not coincidentally, has made her a brilliantly considerate driver around cyclists.

[zerkalo]

I agree, Cycle Confident training courses are brilliant and free. I say that as someone who was very reluctant to take up cycling in London to begin with. I'm very glad I did. If only there were also bike maintenance courses on offer that would be great (anyone knows of any in the local area?).

I felt that, without any further qualification, the statement of the OP was unnecessarily provocative and rightly deserved the response that it received. A bit more understanding and less animosity from both cyclists and motorists would go a long way.

[rendelharris]

zerkalo Wrote:

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> I agree, Cycle Confident training courses are

> brilliant and free. I say that as someone who was

> very reluctant to take up cycling in London to

> begin with. I'm very glad I did. If only there

> were also bike maintenance courses on offer that

> would be great (anyone knows of any in the local

> area?).

Cycle Confident do courses but not in Southwark. However they do them in Lambeth and Westminster and you can go (?18) if you work in those boroughs. Alternatively Evans Cycles do a one-hour course for ?15, think it's on a couple of Wednesdays a month - book online or ask in store.

[zerkalo]

Thanks for that RH. I didn't know that Evans do courses. I'll go and ask in store. Neither Lambeth nor Westminster is good for the Cycle Confident courses unfortunately.

[malumbu]

Meant to add, get your workplace to do this as a staff benefit or as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility.

[exdulwicher]

Yep, as mentioned Evans Cycles run "Fix It" classes:

https://www.evanscycles.com/help/servicing/bike-maintenance-classes

There's a branch on East Dulwich Road as you head towards Peckham from Goose Green.

Brixton Cycles certainly used to do them, don't know if they still do.

Up in town, Look Mum No Hands on Old Street run regular bike maintenance classes.

And if you want to venture even further north of the river (!) there's this place:

https://lbk.org.uk/ which gets good reports.

[bodsier]

.

[natty01295]

Update on this please

Silly idea this is