Put the brakes on cyclists with ID
I must congratulate headmaster Amit Amin for doing something that the Government has ignored for too long: trying to tackle the dangers of rogue cyclists. By insisting that pupils who cycle to school display number plates, he has taken away the anonymity cyclists have and made them responsible (as motorists are) for their behaviour on the road. Rather than Cycling uk condemning him, it should be encouraging all cyclists to be proficient and safe. It should tell them to stop riding on the pavements, endangering pedestrians. (Claiming that the roads are too dangerous is not an excuse to make pavements dangerous, too.) It also needs to acknowledge that there are bad cyclists, just as there are bad drivers and, yes, dozy pedestrians who walk along looking at their phone rather than where they’re going. some cyclists are putting themselves at risk the way they ride. The worst offenders are often adults, and this can only be because there isn’t the same education given to cyclists as there once was. All cycles should display number plates and be registered for a nominal fee of £5, and all cyclists should (as motor cyclists have to) take a proficiency test to prove that they can ride them safely. If they don’t, their licences should be revoked, just like car drivers. As someone who cycled everywhere when I was younger, I’m not anti-bike, just anti-poor bike riding. sadly, every response from the cycling fraternity is the same whenever their riding skills are questioned: ‘We’re not polluting the planet, cycling is healthier, cycling should be encouraged.’ I agree with all those statements, but considerate and safe cycling is best.
Anthony Petrie, stockport, manchester.
When I worked at a school, all bikes were issued with an identification number, and these proved invaluable. The pupils realised that they could be identified by not only staff, but members of the public. Cycling responsibility improved and pupils gained a sense of ownership which, in effect, prepared them for responsible future car or motorbike ownership. Issuing each bike with a number that links bike to rider, just as a registration plate links car to driver, should be rolled out nationwide. Anyone who disagrees is unsympathetic to the needs of other road and pavement users. Jacqueline Guess, tadworth, surrey.