DESPITE the threat of the massive new fines for running red lights, not wearing helmets and riding dangerously, The Daily Telegraph witnessed cyclists continuing to flout the road rules.

Ben Ackerley, who recently moved to Sydney from the United States, became possibly the first rider to be booked under the new fine regime.

The restaurant manager from Darlinghurst was riding on Oxford St just before midday and was not wearing a helmet.

A police Highway Patrol officer on a motorcycle pulled Mr Ackerley over and hit him with the new $319 fine – up from just $71.

“I’d just picked the bike up from the bike shop after getting it fixed,” he said.

“It got wrecked in an accident with a taxi on Market St about three weeks ago. I knew about the no helmet laws but I was just riding about a mile and a half (1.6km) home.

“I’ve just come from living in New York City. The cops there have got better things to do than worry about this sort of stuff.”

Mr Ackerley said he may appeal for leniency.

As part changes to cycling laws beginning Tuesday, fines for five offences have increased by up to 500 per cent.

As well as new fines for no wearing helmets, cyclists risk $425 fines for running a red light; riding dangerously and; not stopping at pedestrian crossings.

Motorists who do not leave a 1m buffer between their vehicle and a bike when travelling up to 60km/h can be hit with a $319 fine and lose two demerit points.

Those travelling more than 60km/h must leave a 1.5m space.

During today’s morning peak, The Daily Telegraph saw riders shooting through on the red light at busy intersections along Oxford St, between Taylor Square at Darlinghurst and College St in the CBD.

While the vast majority of cyclists kept to the left lane, some riders weaved among the traffic, coming less than a metre from vehicles moving slowly through the rush hour traffic.

At the intersections with Flinders, Crown and Riley streets, a number of cyclists pushed to the front of the traffic queues stopped at red lights, leading to some distance issues between cars and bikes when the lights turned green.

In Randwick, a number of cyclists were spotted riding in the middle lane of the three city-bound lanes, on Alison Rd.

Several weaved among the traffic even though a shared cycle/pedestrian path runs along the northern side of the road.

On King St at Newtown, a rider, without a helmet, insisted on riding on the footpath.

Along busy Bondi Rd at Bondi, several riders darted between vehicles slowing moving towards the city.

Police could not confirm any other incidents of vehicle drivers being fined for not giving enough space to cyclists.

On Monday, Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander John Hartley said his officers would use their discretion, but would book those who were obviously breaking the new laws.

A spokesman for the police Highway Patrol said it had not scheduled a specific enforcement operation targeting cyclists to coincide with the first morning of the new laws.

“Police, including our Motorcycle Response Teams, were undertaking their regular duties this morning,” the spokesman said.

The government’s Transport Management Centre said it had not recorded any incidents involving cyclists during the morning peak.

Bicycle NSW CEO Ray Rice said the majority of cyclists are keen to do the right thing and obey all road rules.

While he strongly supports the new minimum passing distance rule, because it offers extra protection to riders, the cycling community is opposed to the increased fines and mandatory photo ID for bicycle riders.

In the lead up to the law changes, Bicycle NSW handed a petition containing 10,000 signatures to the state government demanding the government immediately rescind the fine increases and photo ID sections of the legislation.

BIKE FINES ● Not wearing a helmet: from $71 to $319. Equivalent to the motor cycle fine, even though a motorcycle has much higher power and can reach much higher speeds. ● Running a red light: from $71 to $425. Equivalent to cars, even though at many intersections bicycles are unable to trigger the traffic signal. ● Riding dangerously: from $71 to $425. ● Not stopping at children’s/pedestrian crossing: from $71 to $425. Equivalent to cars. ● All other general bicycle fines: from $71 to $106. ● Ride bicycle without working warning device (eg bell, horn): $106 PEDESTRIAN FINES ● Pedestrian crossing a level crossing when an approaching tram/train can be seen/heard: $71 CAR FINES ● Car driving in a bicycle lane: $177 ● Car driving in a bus lane: $319

Mr Rice said last month that regulation should be a last resort and described NSW as fast becoming Australia’s nanny state.

Mr Rice said no other state has fines this high - and no other state will be introducing mandatory photo identification for bicycle riders.

“These two measures do nothing to help the government achieve their aim of doubling the number of riders using bikes for transport,” he said.

Mr Rice urged the government to mount a stronger and more sustained public education campaign to inform all road users of how the distance laws work.

“We are just not getting the cut through required,” Mr Rice said.

“But we know police are not going to be out there with a tape measure trying to work out the distance between cars and bikes.”

The NRMA today said it supports the increase in fines.

“We support the argument that cyclists should have to carry ID because what we know is that the overwhelming majority of cyclists do the right thing and this is targeting the ones who don’t,” spokesman Peter Khoury said.

“They are putting their lives at risk and we don’t want that.”

City of Sydney Liberal councillor Christine Forster said cyclists are road users so should be expected to obey the rules.

“That should, I imagine, foster mutual respect among cyclists and drivers,” Ms Forster said.

CLOVER’S SAFE PLAN SCRAPPED

EXCLUSIVE Miles Godfrey

LORD MAYOR Clover Moore’s dream of creating a $16 million, ratepayer-funded cafe for latte-sipping ­cyclists has been scrapped.

City of Sydney bought the old T2 nightclub on Taylor Square for $7.1 million in 2010 and planned to turn it into a “bike hub”, with a cafe and community space. The council budgeted $16.1 million for the project.

City of Sydney has now confirmed the project has been scrapped and the building will likely be sold to commercial developers.

Councillor Christine Forster described the cafe as Ms Moore’s “ideological obses-sion” and said $1.2 million had been spent on maintenance and repairs. Councillor Edward Mandla described the cafe as an “unworkable financial disaster” that “never made any sense”.

One saving grace for ratepayers is the value of the building has risen since 2010. One real estate agent said the City would make a “decent profit”.