Grant Shapps: Cyclists should have number plates, be insured and subject to speed limits

As mentioned by others, I suspect this is just dog whistling for a position in the new cabinet when the successor is chosen. After all the Government is supposed to be cutting costs and civil workforce then wants to bring in a plan that would be unenforceable.

I suspect at the end of the "consultation", it will be decided, like it has many many times before not something suitable to bring in. 

“But I see no reason why cyclists should break the road laws, why they should speed, why they should bust red lights and be able to get away with it and I think we do have to not turn a blind eye to that and I’m proposing setting up a review to do exactly that,” he added."

Would that be the complete, thorough review of road laws announced by this ultra-shambles of a tory government all those years ago?  Or just another cyclist-bashing one?

Meanwhile, drivers who are already subject to all these rules but ignore them routinely, kill and maim thousands every year; but they aren't the problem, it's the cyclists.

If it wasn't for the practical issue of speedometers, I wouldn't have a problem with speed limits applying to cyclists.  However, I do have a problem with a Minister saying this whilst being silent on motorists speeding in 20mph zone when his own Department's statistics show that more than 80% of drivers do so (and yet only 5% of drivers have points on their licenses - so enforcement is clearly pretty much close to zero).

I'd like to see the evidence that says having a number plate stops road users ignoring the law. Regardless, surely, a 20tt century solution. We're in the 21st century. Why not just have electronic tagging for all road vehicles. Let's be honest Google know where I am all of the time why shouldn't the Police. Oh.... because it's not about road safety it's about appeasing the gammons.

This is just read meat sh!t to gain the support of the gammony folk at the DM, and to advertise that he's evil enough to join Truss's new cabinet.

So, where to start? Here's a bit of a random brainfart

Cyclists and pedestrians and equestrians all have a right to use the highway.  They are not licenced to use it.  Is he intending to revoke the ancient right of those groups to use the highway (what would Rees-Mogg think of that)?  Is he intending to make pedestrians have to show papers to walk to the shops?

Speed limits.  Bikes aren't subject to a speed limit because they don't have speedometers fitted.  Is he intending to introduce legislation forcing people to retrofit speedometers to their bikes?  Where will all these highly accurate speedometers come from?

Number plates on bicycles.  OK, so if that works the same as on cars then do we just get to fail to notify who was riding at any particular time?  If not, is he proposing that it's the rider who is registered rather than the bike?  Which is a great deal more draconian than motorists get.

Insurance. We all know that a large number of cyclists already have appropriate insurance either through house insurance or through membership of BC or CUK.  We also know that a great many motorists are driving around without insurance. 

Given the sh!tshow at the DVLA at the moment, how much extra money is he planning to throw at them to help them deal with all this extra paperwork?  Will that money be more or less than the money raised by the selling of bicycle licences?

Why is a Govt which is so very keen to remove the nanny state and reduce taxes (on major businesses, in particular: ref. freeports) so willing to increase the legislative and financial burden on a large sector of the population by such an unprecedented method?  Is it just that cyclists are deemed not to contribute enough to the economy so he wants to get revenge (hmm - a war on the cyclists, anyone)?

(yes, I know this all a bit of a strawman, but he started it).

I feel a bout of civil disobedience coming on. 

Discussing the same issue with The Times this morning Shapps makes it clear that he's not interested in the bureaucracy of number plates.

A law on speeding and light jumping could be brought in but would only lead to prosecution if directly witnessed, presumably by police.

It's hard to see why he's bothered about something so unimportant as cyclists speeding, but given the culture wars he will get A LOT of correspondence from voters on this. He has to respond to it somehow.

Shapes isn't the problem, its a broader thing. Its the British.

I was just enjoying my daily dose of bile with a froth of righteous indignation when I suddenly thought - does this actually mean they're really going to start holding all road users to the same rules? So actually enforcing 20mph limits (and others) for *motorists*? And maybe holding those who kill and injure on the roads properly accountable? Could it be there will be measures to have some way of actually identifying *drivers*?

Maybe they'll even bring in licence, MOT and tax checks in Lancashire?

Is this that comprehensive review of road law by stealth?

Ha ha, 🤣 what a gem of a story this is. Some much comedy material in the story, I literally dont know where to start. Speeding cyclists? Does G Shatts ever use the road? TBH, with this collective of fools, that we call a Govt, vulnerable road users have little to fear in terms of further hassles. Just imagine the multitude of hurdles and bureaucratic barriers that this so called idea has to pass through, not to mention cost. This, in combination with staggeringly incompetent ministers, could be one to watch and be entertained by. Authorities cannot even get to grips with those that have number plates and insurance at the moment!

Can we please do something about the fact that cars just stream through green men nowadays? Apparently it's legal if everyone is doing it too. It's never safe to be near a road.

So depressing.  Hopefully the sheer impracticability of it all will prevent it going any further.  The 20 mph speed limit stuff is just laughable.  Yes, I often slightly exceed 20mph (maybe getting to 34km/h) in the 20 zone in my village.  But no car ever waits behind me when I do - I am always overtaken.  (I'm also often overtaken when driving at 20mph through it.) 

I presume that roller skates, skateboards, and scooters (where electric or not) will also require number plates, and their users insurance?

I had wondered how, with a pro-cycling PM, an electoral mandate to build cycle infra, and the COVID cycling boom, we still managed to fall so far behind European countries with none of these.
Now I know it was this incompetent goon.