NSW Pedal-Pushers Not Keen On Having To Carry ID In 2016 Under New Laws

Bike-riders of New South Wales, listen up: your on-road fines are about to get steeper than Le Tour’s hill climb stages. A new raft of laws, regulations and fine-hikes means that riding around sans helmet will eventually cost $319 and running a red will see you cop a $425 fine.

Minister for Roads Duncan Gay’s new measures have also snuck a new move in – as of March 2016, carrying photo ID while riding will be mandatory. There’s a year-long grace period, but if you’re caught riding sans ID after that, say goodbye to $106. FWIW, the minister has previously indicated he doesn’t hate the idea of a total bike-rider registry system, either.

While the whole share-the-road deal has been included in the measures (a mandatory one-metre distance between cars and cyclists will be enforced, lest a driver wants to lose two demerit points), avid pedallers have already chucked a stick in the spokes of the other changes.

Other commenters have drawn particular aspects of the laws into question, including a safety proposal that cyclists give a metre of space when passing pedestrians on shared paths. The problem, of course, is that some designated dual-usage paths aren’t wide enough for the both, anyways. 

Fairfax reports Greens spokeswoman Dr Mehreen Faruqi also highlighted the fact the fine for not wearing a helmet is almost double that given to drivers caught in bike lanes.

The changes officially kick off in March next year. On yer bikes, then.

Story: Fairfax.
Photo: Geok N. Leong / Getty / Twitter.


More Stuff From PEDESTRIAN.TV