But those representatives have also made it clear the government does not only intend to introduce cycling-friendly policies. NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay said last year he was "increasingly persuaded" that a cyclist licensing system was needed. Credit:Rob Homer One policy that seems inevitable is that the penalty for breaching the law as a cyclist would increase from $69 to something approximating fines for motorists. And government representatives have also mooted the idea of requiring cyclists above the age of either 16 or 18 to carry photo identification. Mr Gay has previously said he was "increasingly persuaded" by the idea of a licensing system for cyclists.

The policy being canvassed at the roundtable could be a softening of that idea, requiring cyclists to only carry existing forms of identification, such as a driver's licence. The College Street cycleway in Sydney,which is slated for removal. Credit:Peter Rae But it would still be a novel concept. As Mr Gay himself wrote to the Member for Vaucluse, Gabrielle Upton, "there are no precedents for mandatory bicycle registration or cyclist licensing in Australia". The participants at the roundtable, which had its second meeting on Monday, include the NRMA, the Motor Accident Authority, cycling groups Bicycle Network, Bicycle NSW, the Amy Gillett Foundation, Cycling NSW, and the Pedestrian Council. The Amy Gillett Foundation has been campaigning for safe passing laws across the country. The laws were introduced last year in Queensland, requiring motorists to give cyclists a metre of space when passing at speeds up to 60km/h, and 1.5 metres when passing at higher speeds.

But the Queensland government also increased fines for cyclists in breach of the law, an approach likely to be replicated in NSW. Advocacy group Bicycle Network told its members on Tuesday that it would not support laws requiring cyclists to carry ID in NSW. One source at Monday's meeting said the government acknowledged it would not be feasible to introduce registration for cyclists, nor new licences, but was keen to require cyclists to carry regular identification. "That's the agenda," the source said. "There would be exemptions for people under 18 and things like that." Harold Scruby, the chairman of the Pedestrian Council, said there was a "consensus" that, at $69, fines for cyclists were too low.

"We all agreed that registration is going to be difficult but perhaps anyone over the age of 18 should be required to carry some form of ID," Mr Scruby said. It is unlikely, however, there was consensus over this idea, with cycling groups already registering their opposition. Cycling groups have been angered by the government's decision to remove a $5 million separated bike lane on College Street in the city before building its replacement. The removal of the College Street bike path, intended to create more space for vehicles during construction of a light rail line, would make cycling in the city less safe, NSW Liberal MP Shayne Mallard has said. In emailed comments, Mr Gay said he was seeking input from stakeholders "prior to the government considering options for access and responsibility for cyclists on NSW roads."

The minister said any decisions would build on last year's Cycling Safety Action Plan. That plan canvasses the idea of higher penalties for, and identification of, cyclists.