Rogue cyclists could be sent on awareness courses (From thisisoxfordshire)
When It Happens Panel Get involved: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting 'OXFORD NEWS' to 80360 or email
Rogue cyclists could be sent on awareness courses
7:00am Monday 22nd March 2010 in
LAW-BREAKING cyclists could be sent on cycle-awareness courses as part of a concerted effort to change attitudes among Oxford’s riders.
Campaign group Cyclox teamed up with Oxfordshire County Council, police and both city universities to create a Bike Polite scheme similar to ones operating in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
A public meeting on Thursday will help shape the initiative’s goals and the way it is implemented ahead of a launch later this year.
The focus is expected to be on issues such as jumping red lights and riding on pavements.
Other Bike Pilote schemes have used measures such as reflective wristbands, and the county council and police have held discussions with Cyclox about how the scheme could be implemented.
Cyclox chairman James Styring raised the possibility of cycle-awareness courses as part of the scheme.
He said: “It’s partly about safety but more about behaving responsibly and not annoying people.
“Increasingly the central areas of Oxford are becoming shared spaces and it’s important for cyclists and pedestrians to get along.
“We could do something akin to motorists who are caught speeding just above the limit – they are sent on a speed awareness course instead of getting points or a fine.
“If cyclists caught jumping red lights could be sent on a cycle awareness course, it would be a cool way to get people to understand there are reasons why such behaviour annoys people.”
Arash Fatemian, the council’s new cycling champion, said: “I think it’s an excellent idea. It’s in the early stages but we haven’t ruled anything out or in yet.”
Acting Sergeant Isaac Van Den Eshof said: ‘Thames Valley Police is pleased to support the Bike Polite scheme.
“Its aims will help to make the streets of Oxford a safer place for cyclists and other road users.”
Three 30-minute Oxford Mail surveys in the city showed cyclists routinely ignoring red signals at junctions.
At the Botley Road junction with Frideswide Square, 15 out of 67 cyclists approaching red lights ignored them. At the crossroads near the Sheldonian Theatre in Broad Street, 48 out of 112 cyclists jumped red lights.
The High Street junction with Longwall Street saw 39 out of 88 cyclists ignore stop signals.
In 2009 Thames Valley Police handed out 278 fixed penalty notices to cyclists for contravening road sign orders.
Over the same period 437 motorists got fixed penalties for running red lights.
In Oxford in October last year 84 cyclists were handed £30 penalty fines for not having bike lights.
The first Bike Polite scheme was launched in Edinburgh in 2007 with the giveaway of 10,000 reflective wristbands The public meeting will be held at the Friends’ Meeting House in St Giles between 7.30pm and 9pm on Thursday.
What do you think? Email news@oxfordmail.co.uk
Comments(20)
thekraut
says...
8:29am Mon 22 Mar 10
LadyPenelope wrote:A very good questions indeed. And one the journalist Thom Airs should have asked.
Will the offending cyclists be expected to pay for their place on the course, or will this be funded by the tax payer?
Instead of uselessly comparing numbers of fixed penalty notices between cyclists and motorists. We all know that cyclists don't have licence plates, and are therefore seldom caught.
GRB
says...
9:43am Mon 22 Mar 10
pater mcvey
says...
9:53am Mon 22 Mar 10
Champion of what?. I have just googled him and can't find a single race he has won, let alone a gold medal. P.S. Pennny, You still don't expect pertinent question to be asked by O.M. reporters do you?. The point you made is probably the most important one in this story, but as usual ignored by Mr Airs. P.P.S. The 2009 figures are for year long enforcement of motorists, but the cycle figures relate to only about 4 hours of enforcement (over 100 caught in 1 hour in Parks Rd/Broad St) over the year.
LadyPenelope
says...
10:01am Mon 22 Mar 10
Perhaps a hefty fine would be more of a deterent than the course?
pater mcvey
says...
10:49am Mon 22 Mar 10
LadyPenelope wrote:i think you will find that it costs far more for motorists to go on an awareness course than the fine, and they are outside Oxford so you have travelling costs as well. I recently gave a friend of mine a lift to a course, it would have cost her the train fare, and taxi fare to get there on top of the £120 fee otherwise (not to mention the time off work). So maybe a fee of £100 would work for the cyclists, and open their eyes to the real costs of abusing the roads.
I was thinking they could choose between a £60 fine, or paying £30 to attend the course. Perhaps a hefty fine would be more of a deterent than the course?
BigAlBiker
says...
11:22am Mon 22 Mar 10
LadyPenelope wrote:Lady P, were agreeing with each other to much just lately, i suggest a £60 fine is a good detterent to offenders, and i suggest the usual 3 points drivers get should also go onto there licence as well, after all there using the same piece of road as we do, if they dont have a licence then double the fine.
I was thinking they could choose between a £60 fine, or paying £30 to attend the course. Perhaps a hefty fine would be more of a deterent than the course?
fat Barry
says...
12:45pm Mon 22 Mar 10
daveg2008
says...
12:49pm Mon 22 Mar 10
everythingburnseventaully
says...
2:07pm Mon 22 Mar 10
- A cycling license with modified license plates fitted to bikes.
- A prerequisite cycling test to obtain the license.
- Mandatory 3rd party insurance.
- A small amount of road tax to be payed every year (I mean like 40 quid or so). This could be used to help administer the above suggestions and to help fund cycling infra-structure.
- Discounted bike lights and maybe even *gasp* indicators?
- Proper education from an early age to steer people to taking the cycling test and learning how to ride properly.
I've got nothing against cyclist, just bad ones. Some of the suggestions above might sound draconian to cyclists but I'd suggest that increased accountability would promote more responsibility.
pater mcvey
says...
2:22pm Mon 22 Mar 10
everythingburnseventNothing Draconian about your suggestion, you are talking about equality between Motorists and Cyclists. It is only to be applauded.
aully wrote:
How about... - A cycling license with modified license plates fitted to bikes. - A prerequisite cycling test to obtain the license. - Mandatory 3rd party insurance. - A small amount of road tax to be payed every year (I mean like 40 quid or so). This could be used to help administer the above suggestions and to help fund cycling infra-structure. - Discounted bike lights and maybe even *gasp* indicators? - Proper education from an early age to steer people to taking the cycling test and learning how to ride properly. I've got nothing against cyclist, just bad ones. Some of the suggestions above might sound draconian to cyclists but I'd suggest that increased accountability would promote more responsibility.
Any One
says...
4:01pm Mon 22 Mar 10
There really seems to be no control over the vast numbers here who do not observe road signs/lights/pavemen
ts/pedestrians etc etc; on top of which we are to be receiving another 1500 plus cycles around here with the Universitys development of the old R.I site.
Cyclists will persist in their 'behaviour' because they do get away with; perhaps an awareness programme where they have to look at the result of their actions on others might help. They should have their bikes confiscated until completion of the course; to which they could walk or use public transport to.
Gets them off the road, where they can observe a different viewpoint.
LadyPenelope
says...
9:53am Tue 23 Mar 10
everythingburnseventIf I had to do all this to ride my bike, I would drive everywhere, as would most other car owning people, so it would increase vehicle traffic.
aully wrote:
How about... - A cycling license with modified license plates fitted to bikes. - A prerequisite cycling test to obtain the license. - Mandatory 3rd party insurance. - A small amount of road tax to be payed every year (I mean like 40 quid or so). This could be used to help administer the above suggestions and to help fund cycling infra-structure. - Discounted bike lights and maybe even *gasp* indicators? - Proper education from an early age to steer people to taking the cycling test and learning how to ride properly. I've got nothing against cyclist, just bad ones. Some of the suggestions above might sound draconian to cyclists but I'd suggest that increased accountability would promote more responsibility.
Lights in the dark and obeying the highway code would be fine, with police handing out on the spot penalties on a regular basis to those who don't obey.
camden
says...
10:43am Tue 23 Mar 10
A. Pass a competence test ie Driving test PSV test HGV Test before being allowed to use the road unsupervised
B. Have a minimum of third party insurance to use their vehicles on the road
C. Have a certificate of road worthiness issued by a DVLA approved garage for vehicles over three years old .
D. Why are cyclists exempt from having all these. The Laws of the highway should apply to ALL.
Royalewithcheese
says...
11:20am Tue 23 Mar 10
Cyclists should be given every advantage in order to encourage more people to stay out of their cars (although obviously not being allowed to break the law), perhaps some of the people commenting could try cycling in to work for a while?
locodogz
says...
11:37am Wed 24 Mar 10
camden wrote:Where I live in the leafy Oxfordshire countryside many roads don't have pavements so people regularly walk along them - not sure that they have to comply with the above either?
Could somebody please explain why every other road user has to. A. Pass a competence test ie Driving test PSV test HGV Test before being allowed to use the road unsupervised B. Have a minimum of third party insurance to use their vehicles on the road C. Have a certificate of road worthiness issued by a DVLA approved garage for vehicles over three years old . D. Why are cyclists exempt from having all these. The Laws of the highway should apply to ALL.
I think its fair to say that different categories of road user are treated differently from walkers to the extra tests required of those who drive HGVs/Public transport etc
everythingburnseventaully
says...
12:40pm Wed 24 Mar 10
That's also why I'd suggest that cyclists actually get something for all the extra they would have to do. That their licence, registration, tax and insurance would work in their favour, as well as making them accountable for their actions and promoting responsibility. I'm sure it would be possible to streamline the process.
Personally, i'd be happy to jump through a few hoops (just a few though) and pay a small fee if it granted me extra rights on the road and helped motorists have respect for me when I'm on two wheels.
pater mcvey
says...
8:07am Fri 26 Mar 10
locodogz wrote:A pedestrian is not classed as a road user, so cannot break any road laws. Although I would like to see a jaywalking law at pedestrian crossings.
camden wrote: Could somebody please explain why every other road user has to. A. Pass a competence test ie Driving test PSV test HGV Test before being allowed to use the road unsupervised B. Have a minimum of third party insurance to use their vehicles on the road C. Have a certificate of road worthiness issued by a DVLA approved garage for vehicles over three years old . D. Why are cyclists exempt from having all these. The Laws of the highway should apply to ALL.Where I live in the leafy Oxfordshire countryside many roads don't have pavements so people regularly walk along them - not sure that they have to comply with the above either? I think its fair to say that different categories of road user are treated differently from walkers to the extra tests required of those who drive HGVs/Public transport etc
gkec
says...
9:11am Sat 27 Mar 10
Tinsond
says...
7:46am Sat 3 Apr 10
Not very conducive for the global warming parade either – life's hard enough as it is without imposing additional taxes for cyclists and spoiling one of Joe Public's last great freedoms.
More News stories
- Cocaine dealer runs into trouble
- ‘Christmas market must move or fold’
- Let’s party all summer long
- School bids to end cramped conditions
- Weir on way out
- Town to get use of sports pitches
- Community centre among grant hopefuls
- An area of masterstrokes
- SCALES OF JUSTICE: Some of the recent offences at Banbury magistrates' courts
- SCALES OF JUSTICE: Some of the recent offences at Oxford magistrates' courts
Arash Fatemian, the county’s new cycling champion, left, and Cyclox chairman James Styring
Most popular
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
LadyPenelope says...
8:10am Mon 22 Mar 10