Posted on April 4, 2010 by by Captcha

News.com.au is running a story in their website about an online poll run by The Victorian Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VECCI) on their website.  The poll is asking the Melbourne community if cyclists should be required to obtain some form of license before they can ride their bikes on Melbourne streets.  And further, should road education be compulsory for those seeking to cycle on Melbourne’s streets.

I think we should be asking all Australians the same questions.  I live in Canberra and at least one in three people have had some sort of an argument or road rage incident with a cyclist, and that is because most of the times cyclists seem to think they own the roads – or have right of way. Now I don’t blame them for thinking that because it seems that the ACT government supports that idea, especially when they spend millions of dollars on removing dual road lanes for rego paying cars, only to replace them with bicycle paths.

News.com.au didn’t bother putting a link to the VECCI website or even to the poll webpage for some weird reason so here it is Licence to spill: is bicycle licensing needed? visit the site and be part of the poll.

VECCI’s Chris James also said:

“How are road users identified in case of accidents or breaches of road rules. Simple in the case of cars – via licence plates.

How many of us have seen cyclists riding on a footpath or blithely sailing through a red light? One looks for a form of identification, such as a licence plate but, alas, nothing as the offender proceeds on their merry way.

What happens if there is a serious accident?

… I am always reluctant to advocate further regulation, but in the interests of fairness, the discussion must be had.”

Should Cyclists in Australia require a license and registered bike?, 1.0 out of 5 based on 2 ratings

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