Unlucky for some. Incase you've not noticed, there's a rumbling groundswell of discontent. And although we aren't great conspiracy theory advocates, this one might strike a nerve or two.Your government, (in stealth mode, via its Mayor) champions the bike. It introduces a hire scheme. It paints some pretty green and blue lines, to make you feel more confident. It honours the champions. It pretends to pour scorn on the motor vehicle. And in a torrent of bell-ringing, inspires us all to take to the streets. Power to the peloton. Bike lanes rule in Oceania.
But we forgot about the telescreens.
Ergo a very profitable means for a government to generate income - by 'taxing' the very individuals they motivated and nourished. So while the two-wheeled citizen is being championed today, some time down the road, he or she will get a summons - for running a red, taking to the pavement, not having front and rear lights, or contravening a one-way route.Flimsy folderol?
Enter Lord Lipsy.
"The present figures mean that just two cyclists in a million are caught and prosecuted for this offence [running red lights]. Meanwhile, drivers who shoot red lights are rightly taken to court and accumulate fines and points.
"There is a clear difficulty for the police in that bicycles, unlike cars and motorbikes, do not have to carry number plates. They can thus ignore the law with impunity. It is high time the government and the police formulated a strategy to halt this, before more people are injured or even killed."
AA president Edmund King fuels the fire "A small minority of cyclists regularly flout the law with impunity. They should not be allowed to get away with it. Traffic police numbers have been reduced by 20 per cent over the past decade. That should be reversed."
And finally "Cycling on a pavement is an offence under section 72 of the Highways Act 1835 (as amended by the Local Government Act of 1888). Enforcement is an operational matter for the police. The maximum fine is £500. But since 1999 the offence can also be dealt with by a fixed penalty notice of £30. Careless cycling is not an imprisonable offence, though cyclists can be jailed for 'wanton and furious driving'", say the Daily Mail, in an article targeting the menace that is the 'lycra-lout'.
In conclusion, TFL is looking to achieve a 400% increase in cycle journeys in London by 2025. That's a vast number of people, many of whom currently travel on trains. And that's a lot of bikes. And a whole lot of potential revenue. Expect to see a good few more Police cyclists sharing your bike lane comrades. "Big Brother is Watching You".
