TFLs Safer Cycling Campaign

Continuing on from the very effective ad campaign I saw on TV last night.

TFL are now giving 10,000 safety mirrors to lorry drivers in London.

While I admit that just because the lorry drivers are being given these mirrors, they may not necessarily use them, at least TFL is taking the challenge to get more people on bikes seriously.

There is however, a potentialy worrying outcome to all this pro-cycling stuff.
What if cycling increased so much that TFL made it a law for all bikes to have registrations and some kind of insurance/tax before they can go on the road.

Its easy for me to say screw that I would just refuse, let them try and catch me! But it would be a bit of a nightmare I reckon

They can't make bike have tax / registration unless it is done nationally. Ken can't stop people from riding in from out of London.

EDIT: Good that hey are giving away all these mirrors though, it however does not mean cyclist should be any less vigilant around lorries.

i think bike tax would be waaaaay to difficult and expensive to enforce.
their time would be better spent elsewhere. if anything, they would just put a tax on the sale of bike parts.
doubtful though...

what would be the purpose of taxing bikes? bikes have little to no effect on the roads...thats just ridiculous.

perhaps getting working indicators to all the drivers in London would be a start!

Sorry, grumpy as I was almost knocked off twice today by people not indicating or indicating incorrectly.

Bike registration was discussed last year, mainly as a response to complaints of bad cycling (pavements rlj etc), but Ken realised it was stupid bloody idea and canned it.

We already pay road tax for zero emission vehicles @ £0.00 and your council tax maintains the roads in your borough not the road tax.

You can usually shut up Clarkson- wannabees with those two points.

As a vegetarian I probably owe some emission tax.

lucky perhaps getting working indicators to all the drivers in London would be a start!

Sorry, grumpy as I was almost knocked off twice today by people not indicating or indicating incorrectly.

The cabbies all seem to think MSM means Manoevre, Signal, Mirror.

lucky perhaps getting working indicators to all the drivers in London would be a start!

Sorry, grumpy as I was almost knocked off twice today by people not indicating or indicating incorrectly.

Be careful what you wish for:

Its not cycle tax that I was trying to make a point against. My main gripe would be against cycle registration. But insurance and then tax would probably logistically follow on from bike registrations. Even if cycle tax was a nominal amount, or even free, the whole registration idea would be a complete nightmare.

But it is something I feel Ken and the others may look into again in the future.

The cabbies all seem to think MSM means Manoevre, Signal, Mirror.

Signal? Indicators are, apparently, an expensive optional extra on black cabs, just like it is on BMWs and Mercs.

Seeing on MT RSS feed that Brian Paddick's number one priority (out of four) to improve cycle safety in London was to "license all cycle couriers" gives a scary insight into just how removed politicians (and from his previous career you can only assume the po-po too) are from reality.

He even has a completely separate "Black cab manifesto" with it's own separate page on his website because rickshaws must be stoppped at all costs.

adoubletap Seeing on MT RSS feed that Brian Paddick's number one priority (out of four) to improve cycle safety in London was to "license all cycle couriers" gives a scary insight into just how removed politicians (and from his previous career you can only assume the po-po too) are from reality.

He even has a completely separate "Black cab manifesto" with it's own separate page on his website because rickshaws must be stoppped at all costs.

Christ, I never saw that. Why would you want to license cycle couriers?

And he's really trying to mobilise the cabbies vote with their own manifesto there...

An oldie, but a goodie....

Good idea giving away the mirrors, let's just keep our fingers crossed that Boris doesn't win the election...
Did anyone else happen to notice that right at the end of the shot from Montague place onto Russell Square (the last one) a moped turned left into the cycle lane? £60 fine, no? Bit harsh I know... bet he's wondering whether any cops watched the news ;)

I'm a moon-walking bear!

You can registrate until the cows come home, whatever that means. Numberplate's work because of numberplate recognition software. The idea that you could fit a number plate onto every cyclist, bearing in mind the the amount of bomb dodgers clunking through the streets mid summer is nonsensical.

The notion that Vehicle Excise Duty should be applicable to cyclist's is also teetering on the edge stupid, as for insurance, well if we exclude fire and theft, then we're looking at just third party. Meaning if I hit/damage/et cetera you, I'm liable. Well I'm up for that as long as pedestrians are to.. Everyone using the streets of London requires 3rd party insurance. Niche market anyone?

Having said that we could all wear a number plate al la Flavor Flav style.

adoubletap Seeing on MT RSS feed that Brian Paddick's number one priority (out of four) to improve cycle safety in London was to "license all cycle couriers" gives a scary insight into just how removed politicians (and from his previous career you can only assume the po-po too) are from reality.

He even has a completely separate "Black cab manifesto" with it's own separate page on his website because rickshaws must be stoppped at all costs.

the mayor of new york did it a reg number, company name, and phone number must appear on all bikes and a bog or vest worn outside of the riders cloths. but they wrote the law wrong so it doesn't not apply to independent contractors