I am adding in the article
here MEL WRIGHT South News reporter wrote:
Call for bicycles to be licensed
Published Date: 08 March 2010 By MEL WRIGHT South News reporter
ALL bicycles ridden by those over 16 should be licenced, Castletown Commissioners believe.
The local authority considered a letter from the Department of Transport regarding a series of draft pedal cycle regulations that will be submitted to Tynwald for approval.
They include the requirement that brakes must be in a good and efficient order, have suitable bells and safe tyres.
Commissioner Kevin Weir proposed at last week's board meeting that the department should go further with the requirements it wants to impose.
'They should make it statutory to wear safety helmets, fluorescent jackets, have lights front and back and have a road licence for riders over 16 years of age,' he said.
'They ride four in a row, they will not drop behind, a motorist gets annoyed and overtakes in a bad spot, they have an accident and the cyclists race on,' he added.
'Any professional driver would support this sort of action. I have a bike and at least I have road sense. I do not ride two, three or four abreast.
'They should have to have a licence. If I have a road licence to drive my car, why shouldn't they? It should be £10 a go.'
Commissioner Richard Ronan said: 'It will cost £30 to administer, but it is still worthwhile.'
Mr Ronan added: 'It's the bike that has the licence, it might lead to a little bit more care, it's the same as a dog licence, why have dog licences?'
Commissioner Andrew Thomas agreed with Mr Weir's suggestions, but thought the licence idea was impractical.
In defence of cyclists, commissioners' chairman Alwyn Collister said: 'Cyclists have brought a good deal of publicity to the Isle of Man, we have some very good cyclists. The Isle of Man is known throughout the cycling world.'
Mr Weir's proposals received support from the majority of the board and will be outlined in the board's reply to the DoT.
On one hand what they speak of is an MOT for bikes and on the other good rider behaviours.
Most cyclists want their bike in good order, as they recognise how vulnerable they are. I do appreciate that no all cyclists are responsible, but better Policing will in time have them stopped and checked.
Again just having most (let's face it will they truly have all bikes / people registered?) registered will not stop a cyclist behaving irresponsibly.
I am concerned about the groups that travel as a whole block or two abreast on major roads. It is far safer and more helpful for traffic to pass if they travel in singles and further apart, to enable traffic to pass safely and efficiently. Smaller quiet roads are fine to ride side by side and have a chat etc, but on the less narrow major routes, it is even more dangerous for them, and demands more from each road user to pass safely. The lead road vehicle can feel under great pressure the more cars that build up behind them.
Encouraging riders therefor to act responsibly to the traffic around them, so that, when it is busy they apply better more helpful procedures and when quiet consider a side by side, ride.
No amount of registration will help to improve better traffic responses from the cyclists, all you might (if a clear and reliable note of who was riding is taken at the time), achieve is a conviction later, not that this isn't important, but surely if you are involved in an accident you must stop anyway? if not why not? If the responsible or even just involved cyclists, is 'failing to stop' why ?
So if riders are not stopping, then is this not the issue to address rather than a mass of administration that probably won't help anyway.
If a registration 'plate' has to be added, many race cyclists are trying to save every ounce of weight anyway, so they probably wont agree to a 'plate' of any kind, even one made of light plastic.
We need to find the right psychological motivations, and rule of law, to ensure people want to, and 'do', the right behaviours, not ignore all requests by government and the rules of the land. Carrots work better than sticks, and getting the General public 'on side' and working together, in the right way becomes long lasting, well respected and supported by the majority.
I am sure that talking with many of the cycling Groups and Clubs, will do far more good than over complicated administration and stick beating.
It could be too, that once again having more Police Patrols will soon pick up on the 'regular' disobedient cyclists, that flaunt the law with impunity.
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It seems that the authorities on the IOM want to do something about undisciplined cyclists.
Even if there are so many cyclists in a group that they’re taking up the space of a HGV, you do not drive around them like an idiot! You treat it like you would a HGV and overtake when safe. If it isn’t safe both for yourself and the cyclists you don’t overtake.
