Local cyclists are calling idea suggestion that bicycles should be licensed unnecessary and too complicated.
The idea was presented to city council last week by Orléans Coun. Bob Monette, who said he received the idea from one of his constituents.
He said he wasn’t sure if even he backed the idea, but said he could see the appeal.
With bicycle licensing, stolen bicycles could be more easily returned to their owners and it may help officers identify riders who are not obeying the rules of the road, Monette told council.
But cyclist Evan Graham disagrees.
He said in his experience officers have had no problem stopping him and fellow riders for riding infractions.
“(An officer) stopped me right outside the police station on Elgin and yelled at me for not having a light on and wearing dark clothes,” said Graham. “He proceeded to tell me I was lucky that he wasn't a drunk driver or he'd be scraping me off of his wheel well..
“I thanked him for not driving drunk and kept on biking.”
The real problem, said Graham, is the lack of information about cycling rules.
“I think . . . teaching people the basics about signaling, legally required accessories, and the cyclist’s place on the road would be much more beneficial to commuters, than a licensing cash grab.”.
As far as bicycle licensing being an easier way to track stolen bicycles, Michael Powell, chair of the roads and cycling advisory commitee, said that’s already been taken care of.
“Bicycles already have serial numbers that are unique to them” located where the pedals are.
Licensing a bicycle is a bureaucratic move that doesn’t make sense, he said.
Hans Moor, president of the Citizens for Safe Cycling, agrees.
Implementing a bicycle-licensing program would require a complex database system, he says.
One of the problems may come down to a person selling their bicycle and not providing that information to the company managing the database.
“The problem may be not telling the database owner that (your bike) may have been sold to someone else,” says Moor.
The former owner of the bike may not have gathered or transferred the information to the new owner.
“(You’d say) ‘I sold my bike to a guy in a red shirt’,” he said. “You’d have to build a very complicated database.”
For Graham, it all comes down to the responsibility of the rider to know what their rights are, but also what is illegal rider conduct.
“One thing I can't stand, even more than swerving cars who ignore cyclists, are cyclists riding the wrong way down a one-way street who think this is perfectly fine because they're wearing a helmet,” said Graham.
“These people don't understand that wearing a helmet isn't a legal requirement but riding in the proper direction is.”
At council, Mayor Jim Watson dismissed the idea, citing that it could possibly discourage citizens from riding their bikes.
Graham echoed Watson’s sentiments.
“A licensing system would discourage new commuters and piss off this one.”