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New law in Cyprus will take fun out of cycling

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There will be no showing off while riding with no hands in Cyprus in the near future if a draft bill on cycling responsibilities there becomes law in the future.

Draft legislation from Cyprus’ government, which is currently being readied to go through parliament there, states that bike riders must keep both hands on handlebars, unless a hand signal is being used.

Killjoys

The rather harsh punishment if you get caught doing a “look mum no hands” freewheel down a road is a 500 Euros fine or 15 days jail time. The bill also outlaws carrying a second person on a bike, so there goes piggy backing so favoured by kids on their bikes.

In a further move by the Cypriot government to take the fun away from cycling, the bill makes mention of minimum bikes specifications for use on Cypriot roads and outlines procedures for altering or building bikes from scratch.

No riding under the influence

The bill includes a number of other provisions, some of which make sense. Cyclists will not be able to use their mobile phones while cycling, while riding a bike under the influence of alcohol will be prohibited with police being able to subject cyclists to breathalyser tests if need be. Further to this, lights on bike will be made compulsory between dusk and dawn.

Harsh punishments

The bill outlines the various punishments for breaking the rules. Again the punishments seem overly harsh given the cycling misdemeanour. A drunk cyclist for instance can face up to two years in prison. Compare this to the punishment of car drivers using or parking in bike lanes. They will face a fine of 2,000 Euros or get two months imprisonment.

It appears the protection of car drivers and the car is king in Cyprus.

See also

A new accessory for your bike – the tablet holder

Dubliners don’t mind bearing it all

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