Stop cycle licensing proposal

[Deleted]

Hello, this is Sibilla - Anne's girlfriend
Did you know that Ken Livingston is proposing to make all cyclists pay a licence fee for each bike they use?
I have emailed Ken - as well as my local Assembley Member - to ask them to reconsider this policy proposal.
Below you can find text of my message.
I hope you will also email them if you think this proposal is no good. Cheers
You can also find more information at: www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=1071
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EMAIL: [e-mail]
Dear Mr Livingston

I am writing to you regarding your proposal to register cycles and their owners, and require cycles to carry number plates. I believe that these measures will prevent many people from taking up cycling and may also put off those people that are already cycling and get them back in their cars.
The cost of registration will, in particular, hit those on low incomes, and those with large families who will have to register several bikes - in my family for example, we use two bicycles for daily commuting and two bicycles for training and racing.
It will also discourage occasional cyclists in the capital as well as those who would like to visit London and ride a bike - and we always encourage our friends and visitors to do precisely that when they come to stay on holiday.

Any such scheme will be bureaucratic, costly and impossible to enforce in a city with more than 650,000 regular cyclists and more than 450,000 cycle journeys per day. It will consume police time that could otherwise be used to enforce lawful behaviour by all road users.

What we need in London are improved conditions for cyclists on the roads, better signed cycle lanes and secure parking, and widespread promotion of cycle training to National Standards, particularly in schools. Cycle training encourages cyclists, whether young or old, to ride confidently, safely and responsibly on city roads.

You have, in the past, highlighted the advantages of cycling in a city that suffers from both congestion and pollution. Your registration proposal will discourage cycle use in London and force cyclists back into their cars or on to hard pressed public transport.

Please think of the impact of a fall in cycling on all Londoners and back cycle training not cycle licensing. Thank you.

Your sincerely

Sibilla Becchetti

[Deleted]

According to our man at TfL, it was an off-the-cuff remark or soundbite used to placate the radio interviewee and his/her Daily Mail/all cyclists are 'Lycra Louts' rant. As most of us are aware, Ken will spout the first thing that pops into his head (e.g., his concentration camp guard remark to the Evening Standard journalist) without thinking about the consequences. Apparently nobody at TfL was aware of any plans being drawn up to register bicycles. With a bit of luck - and hounding by enraged cyclists - it will all blow over: the main reason being - as Sibilla and Andy have pointed out - that it will be impossible to enforce.

[Deleted]

Stop Press

Nil Desperandum! According to an article in Cycling Weakly, our esteemed Mayor has backed down from his registration proposals. To quote:

"I have seen initial assessments, from Transport for London that shows that a bike registration scheme would face a number of practical problems, and could discourage cycling, whereas my aim is to carry on increasing the number of cyclists. Given that such a scheme would have to be at least partly self-financing, the cost of registering cycles would also have to be passed on to cyclists, again discouraging cycling. A registration scheme could therefore only ever be seen as a difficult last resort."

Sanity reigns.