IN A surprising turn of events and one that may seem extreme, the United Kingdom (UK) is proposing regulation requiring cyclists to have licence plates.
Cyclists will be required to follow posted speed limits and will be fined for not following these regulations.
In a country like the UK, a policy such as this seems more realistic.
What if South Africa implemented the same rules? Particularly, as travelling on bicycles is common.
The proposal was made when the transport secretary noted that cyclists are notorious for flouting road laws.
The CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, says: “The debate over who is reckless between motorists and cyclists is quite a contentious issue in South Africa. Therefore, is there necessity to apply the same regulations to cyclists as what is applied to motorists?
“The challenges motorists and cyclists face in the UK are not uncommon here. Yet, in a country where road regulation is not properly enforced on motorists, is there merit in developing further regulation for cyclists when enforcement may not necessarily be possible,” he said.
The UK’s transport secretary further explains his desire to enforce this regulation with valid points.
“He pointed out there are two instances, in particular, where cyclists pose a great challenge to other road users. The first is speeding in areas with low-speed limits and the second is the disregard of stop signs and traffic lights,” said Herbert.
The motivation behind his proposal is that reckless cyclists have as much potential to seriously injure or even kill pedestrians as motorists.
“Yet, in order to make this a reality this would require cyclists to then have number plates and also have insurance to cover liability claims. Should the same apply to South African cyclists? Ultimately, any dangerous behaviour on the roads, whether it be by a pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist or motorist, must be dealt with swiftly and decisively to make a considerable dent in our high road fatality rates. Consequently, such regulation could be necessary,” he said.
Yet, if road regulation enforcement on motorists is not quite at the standard it should be, should we be adding additional regulation?
“This is a valid and important discussion that all South Africans committed to safer roads should start considering. It, however, should be done with a cognisance that South Africa is vastly different to the UK in terms of road regulation and fatalities and what may work there may not necessarily work here,” said Herbert.
