Re: Licence plates for cyclists?

Yes there is. Dashcam footage showing an ID plate would provide evidence.

Even if there are no police around, the evidence can be provided to them and you can insist that they will be investigated and, hopefully, prosecuted.

I have recently discovered that our local police force... er, service, will accept dashcam evidence for such things and, should cyclists ever be obliged to carry 'number plates' they are more likely to get what's coming to them.

Re: Licence plates for cyclists?

I think, a lot of folk on here could not afford a bicycle as a kid, and worse than that, had no compunction to build one from the scrapheap.

Re: Licence plates for cyclists?

Cyclists (over 16) in NSW are required to carry photo ID.

It would cost more to license bikes than the revenue they would create (rego is based on weight ie the damage a vehicle does to the road surface). Another problem with registering bikes is children - what do you do with a child riding an unregistered bike? It is a subject that has been examined and rejected as impractical.

Home contents (or is it buildings? can't remember) insurance often includes public liability insurance which covers cyclists

Re: Licence plates for cyclists?

Re: Licence plates for cyclists?

Insurance is another thing, but my concern is identification.

I believe it is perfectly feasible to make identification plates a legal requirement. Any bicycle being ridden without ID could be stopped by the police and the rider charged.

Incidentally, I think it would be better if the owner were the one to be registered rather than the bicycle itself, as these are so easily interchanged.

Of course, this would not apply to children, but any adult would be liable.

Re: Licence plates for cyclists?

That'll do nicely mate!

Re: Licence plates for cyclists?

Modern technology should mean it's possible to make this work.

Anyone cycling on highways in certain areas should have to pay to have a license plate fitted and should have to display it when in those areas. So it should be piloted in commuter zones.

All new adult bikes should be fitted with a license plate. So eventually it will be part of the cost of a bike.

Children should not be on such public highways unless accompanied by a licensed adult.

Every rented bike should have a plate. The cost of that should be part of the rent. I'm sure there's already insurance included.

Every cyclist planning to cycle in commuter zones should have to take a basic road test which includes a strong emphasis on respect for other road users and road rules.

So I would say it shouldn't apply to all cyclists but to those who want to cycle in high risk areas. Particularly busy commuter zones & city centres.

It works for mopeds and scooters so why not bikes?

Some cyclists have become a menace. They even attack each other.

Re: Licence plates for cyclists?

That makes it open to fraud. You'd have to carry your licence plate around. So you could get mugged for the plate. The other problem is securing the plates to make it impossible to unscrew and swap them when the bikes are chained up.

Unless it's a lit up digital display say linked to your phone. Easy to access online and linked to a photo id. Could function as a substitute for cycle lights at night. That would make it harder to tamper with.

Re: Licence plates for cyclists?

I live in an area well known for cycling the Brownlee brothers and Lizzie Armitstead live close by so we have large groups of cyclists from local clubs on the roads around me all the time...I can see the need for some legislation but I hope that does not extend to children's bikes....we need to encourage kids and I think creating rules around cycling for kids would be a mistake on all sorts of levels.

Re: Licence plates for cyclists?

Maybe we should all have our NI numbers tattooed on our foreheads.


I got held up by a cyclist the other day, must have added 15 seconds to my journey time, I was livid.