Australia Cracks down with Stringent Biking Laws

Could there be a silver lining?

Cyclers in New South Wales, Australia expressed a great deal of outrage this week due to a new set of laws, effective March 1st, that heighten regulation and significantly increase fines for minor infringements such as riding a bicycle without a bell.

Police in New South Wales

As with any form of transportation, cyclers are not exempt from following the rules of the road. Whether it be riding a bicycle without a helmet or running a red light, New South Wales has always issued fines in response to reckless riding. Furthermore, it makes perfect sense that there should be laws in place that are designed to keep pedestrians and riders out of harm’s way.

Evidently some rules are a good thing. However, many people have expressed qualms about the new regulations because the tariffs are not only exponentially higher than before, but also enforce minute regulation that is bound to make biking in cities a hassle, and thus a less attractive means of getting about.

Compared with cars, it seems that cyclers are being unfairly monitored. Now, if you are caught riding your bike without a bell in New South Wales, you will have to pay a fine of more than $100. Indeed, that is a bit excessive, and one has to wonder why the state is coming down so hard on cyclers.

After all, riding a bike is not only healthy for the cycler, but the activity also benefits the surrounding community by decreasing traffic and pollution. Actually, that last point is key. Many cyclers insist that they should be given a break rather than be discouraged from riding. Climate change and the decline of green spaces are very real threats to urban communities, and cyclers represent the few who promote a healthier and greener mode of transportation.

So there you have it: the cycling conundrum erupting in New South Wales in a nutshell. While higher and stringent fines for bikers is very disconcerting, our team does detect a tiny silver lining to this whole scenario.

When asked to justify the new bell regulations, police representatives noted:

“That vocal warnings are simply not enough to alert pedestrians when a cycler is approaching, and that is why a bell is necessary when riding. Just adding a regular bell to a bike probably won’t make a huge difference.”

- but what about attaching a device that will transform the bike into a powerful smart bike?

If there is anything that this incident has taught us, it’s that cyclers need to stick together and develop strong communities that can fight against such strict legal actions as those seen in Australia this month. At SHOKA our goal is to provide cyclers with the tools to do just that.

With ShokaBell, cyclers can not only benefit from basic necessities such as customisable audio alerts and GPS navigation, but can also connect with each other, form communities, and develop strong biking cultures. Furthermore the monitoring capabilities of the Shoka App can collect ringing data from cyclers, and alert users about safe riding routes in cities. Everyone should strive to be safe while on the road, and in this case Shoka can do a lot to help.

The ShokaBell

Of course, there are many ways to build active biking communities and give voice to cyclers around the world. What are you experiences or suggestions for changing the way in which we move about in urban spaces?