His call echoed that of then Federal Opposition spokesman on sports, Pat Farmer, who last year said cyclists should pay registration to fund infrastructure and safety campaigns. The latest Transport Accident Commission data shows that in the five years to 2007, the number of cyclists lodging successful claims after an accident with motorised transport rose significantly each year while the number of other claims plateaued or fell. In 2003, 3.6 per cent of approved claims for taxpayer assistance for medical bills came from cyclists. By 2007, cyclists made up 5.4 per cent of approved claims. This figure is roughly in line with the boom that led to around 22,000 people riding to work at the time of the 2006 census, a rise of around 50 per cent in five years. All indicators suggest that number has grown steadily since then, but the issue of medical funding is not the only one that has people thinking cyclists should pay for their road use.

A survey commissioned last month by car insurer Budget Direct found 50 per cent of Melbourne motorists surveyed supported the introduction of a cyclist registration fee. Some who want cyclists registered said bike riders should pay for infrastructure costs like other road users, but most said cyclists should be registered so they could be identified if they broke road rules. Budget Direct spokeswoman Richelle Ward said drivers were tired of putting up with cyclists who regularly flouted the law but could not be reported. "A lot of people feel very strongly about this," she said. "It's nothing sinister but a lot of people are saying they get nervous when bicycles do silly things on the road … they feel cyclists should be held accountable. "The problem isn't (children) on the road. It's when cyclists are ducking in and out of traffic and running red lights."

Victoria Police defended its record of catching errant cyclists, saying it was not aware of issues regarding identification of cyclists who commit road offences. Harry Barber concedes a minority of cyclists break the law but said better enforcement rather than better identification would solve the problem. "Enforcement is a job for police, (not motorists)," he said. "This is not a matter of passing a lot of laws that aren't enforced. "The police have plenty of laws that they can enforce but they have other priorities and are pretty busy." Mr Barber said most cyclists were also motorists and so already funded the TAC through car registration fees.

But he said if non-drivers were asked to provide TAC funding then it would have to extend to pedestrians and public transport users, because they were also at risk of being injured by a car. Mr Barber said cycling infrastructure provided taxpayers with value for money by moving more people for less cost than other transport modes. He cited the recent safety upgrade of bike lanes on Rathdowne Street in Carlton — which has boosted the number of riders who use it by 100 a day — for $150,000. This is a fraction of what it would cost to get a comparable number of people on buses or moving through Melbourne's congested road network by car, he said. "Asking cyclists to pay is having it exactly the wrong way around," he said. "The saving that using a bike delivers (to taxpayers) is enormous … then there are the climate and health benefits."

But in Brisbane, the idea of using cyclist registration fees to fund bicycle infrastructure appears to be gaining pace. Last week, just under half of 400 cyclists surveyed said they would support a licensing scheme, with most saying their support would be withdrawn if the money was not put towards creating better bike paths. The survey organiser said it showed that people were now prepared to pay to ride if it meant guaranteeing their safety. Cyclist James Storer, 34, rides his bike to work most days from Carnegie to South Melbourne. He would back a bike levy of around $200 but only if it funded education campaigns to improve the relationship between cyclists and motorists.

His friend and fellow cyclist Nathan Gallacher said only a nominal fee would be appropriate, and even then only for identification purposes. "If you look at the damage to roads and the environment caused by cars … a bike does zero damage in comparison." A VicRoads spokesman said it did not have the resources to make bicycle registration a viable option.