Allard: Make cyclists in Ottawa get licences, for safety’s sake

Bike lanes in downtown Ottawa: Most cyclists don’t obey the rules, says this writer. Photo by TONY CALDWELL /POSTMEDIAArticle content

If city officials are to continue adding dedicated bike lanes while subtracting car lanes, a commendable effort to protect our fragile environment, then this basic math makes sense. However, there’s a caveat. Clearly, cyclists must start abiding by the traffic laws, lest the great divide between co-commuters continues to multiply with every unfortunate incident, collision and bird-flipping at one other.

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The trouble is that such compliance will not happen any time soon, since the majority of cyclists already have a long history of ignoring rules of the road, in the process foolishly putting their safety and that of others at risk. In that sense, they have the same attitude as some pickup truck drivers, who go about town as if they own the road. There are enough accidents involving distracted, impaired or incompetent motor vehicle drivers these days without encouraging a safety-compromised group to share busy roadways. This minority group inexplicably remains unregulated.

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City councillors seem to have forgotten one small detail in their relentless quest to encourage people to cycle to work “en masse” in order to tone down vehicular traffic and help reduce carbon emissions. Namely, that commuting by bicycle occurs mostly at peak hours during the work week and furthermore, can only be done safely during seven or eight months of the year. Ottawa’s harsh and long winter climate dictates otherwise. Especially of late, where unpredictable and significant temperature swings, along with hurricane-like winds, seem to have become the norm. Even the most avid owner of a bicycle would be the first to concede that bikes and winter usually do not go hand-in-hand.

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So why does the city continue to approve inordinate budget outlays on infrastructure for an activity that is clearly seasonal, quasi-elitist and somewhat discriminatory? Just think how many people would love to cycle to work but either don’t have the budget for it, cannot manage with pre-school ones at home or in daycare, or simply are physically unable to practise this sport. As the nation’s capital, Ottawa should instead strive to promote fairness, respect, accessibility and equal opportunity for all of its citizens.

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Both written and road tests needed

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I fully agree there’s a pressing need for more bikes and fewer cars on the road at the current rate of congestion and pollution. But if the number of commuting cyclists is to continue rising, with more funds earmarked for their use, then the time has come for this group to be regulated. As in, be required to undergo written and road tests to pass their licence, including purchasing a bike plate and securing proper insurance before being allowed to share the main arteries. And just as vehicle and motorcycle operators are subject to hefty fines, even suspensions when contravening traffic laws, so should bicycle riders be. This should unquestionably include fines for failure to wear mandatory proper helmets under the new regulation.