'Mr Loophole' lawyer Nick Freeman pops up on BBC Radio 4 to plugcyclist and e-scooter rider ID petition

Hasn't this silly man better things to do?

Following an appearance on Talkradio last week to talk about his petition (link is external), the lawyer Nick Freeman, who became well known for preventing dangerous celebrity drivers from receiving bans on technicalities, also spoke on Radio 4 (link is external) this morning.

Presenter Nick Robinson opened with: "If you've ever cursed a cyclist going through a red light or riding onto a pavement and felt powerless, you might like the sound of a proposal for a new cyclist registration scheme which would make anyone riding a bike display a registration number, the equivalent of a car number plate, so they can be held accountable for how they ride their bikes."

Repeating his widely-panned 'numbered tabard' idea that he has suggested since at least 2015, Freeman explains how it would work: "There would be a similar system to which that operates for motor cars. Each cyclist would be required to wear a registered tabard with a registration number on the back, so that if there was an offence committed, a member of the public would be able to obtain that information and report it to the police.

"The police would then send out a section 172 notice, which is the same notice which is sent out to a driver who is the registered keeper of a motor car, and there would be a legal obligation to furnish information as to who was cycling at the time."

When Robinson says that car registration and "popping to the shops on your bike" with a numbered tabard are "not quite the same" Freeman fails to answer the question, instead saying he wants to promote "a harmonious and safe environment for all people" with his idea.

Kevin O' Sullivan, a lawyer specialising in cyclists and cycling, tells Robinson that Freeman's idea will reduce rates of cycling, adding: "In those few cases where irresponsible cycling happens, they're mostly a danger to themselves."

Freeman's latest appearance has received quite a backlash on social media, with Guardian political correspondent Peter Walker listing numerous reasons why the scheme could be problematic. Thomas Penny added: "The suggestion that any motorist slightly irritated by a cyclist could report them to the police is also completely unsustainable. I couldn't believe they were giving it airtime"...

https://road.cc/content/news/cycling...log-item-25543