Thursday, July 13, 2006

Adrian Seales Chief Inspector

Although a number of people think police should be prosecuting bicycle riders who ride without lights, who "weave in an out of traffic" and, who exhibit other "irresponsible" road habits, the Police Commissioner, Stuart Kernohan, said he would rather mount an education campaign for cyclists for a period of time, before prosecuting.

At a Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) Community Meeting, held in the East End district on 7 July 2006, errant bicycle riders were discussed extensively.

When some residents complained about cyclists riding badly on the roads and asked the police to begin prosecuting offenders, Mr Kernonhan said that because he believed that those riding bicycles did not have much money, he would want his officers to "be sensitive to that."

He said that to address the matter he would rather see an educational campaign mounted first.

One resident who opposed the Commissioner's view said, "It doesn't cost that much to get a light for a bicycle. I don't believe that these people don't have ten, maybe fifteen dollars to get a light. I disagree with you, Sir."

That speaker, a Caymanian, then went on to pinpoint one expatriate group - Jamaicans - as the source of part of the problem.

"That weaving in and out of traffic comes from Jamaica."

Mr Kernohnan replied that the speaker had every right to disagree with him.

"I still don't think I would be instructing my officers to mount a crackdown on pedal cyclists without an education programme in place."

At the same time Mr Kernohan issued a plea to all cyclists.

"If you own a pedal cycle, get lights and ride with responsibility."

Based on points raised in the discussion on that evening, one source of the problem was that the requirement for bicycles to be licensed was removed from Cayman's law books in the mid 1980's.

This was one of the factors that resulted in an increase in the number of bicycles on the road and, added to that, enforcement on riding rules had been missing, some contributors to the discussion said.

Chief Inspector Adrian Seales admitted to an absence of a focus on enforcement in this area but promised to begin collating traffic statistics specifically relating to offending cyclists that are warned.

One resident implored cyclists to remember that they too were to stop when a school bus stops to pick up, or left children off, the bus.

Deputy Police Commissioner, Rudolph Dixon said that the bad example set by adults and, the absence of active enforcement of the regulations in relation to cyclists had resulted in the problem that exists today.

"Even as children, we knew the things we were not to do on bicycles," he said. "But over the years there are simple offences that society came to accept as the norm."

Hon Arden McLean, Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for that district, who was also in attendance, asked police officers to let him know if they saw the need to amend legislation to help to correct the matter.

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