Report on Bicycle License Plates Presented in Tokyo

Byron Kidd
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On Monday, September 10, a working group established by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to study the feasibility of implementing  license plate system for Tokyo's cyclists handed over their report to government officials.

The government believes mandatory number plates will encourage cyclists to ride more safely and observe road rules as they will become more easily identifiable.  The also believe the new system will curb the increasing incidents of bicycles being abandoned illegally.

Opponents of the system (myself included) argue that any move that makes cycling more expensive or inconvenient will have a dramatic impact on families who rely on bicycles as their main mode of transport.  Bicycle manufacturers also oppose the idea as they believe it will impact on their sales figures.

I've written more on the subject here, and it is a story I will be following with great interest.
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  1. You will be able to read Japanese record of proceeding at
    http://www.seisyounen-chian.metro.tokyo.jp/koutuu/07_jitensha-kondankai.html
    There are 34 members of the committe, but representative of the bike user is only one!
    In the record of proceeding, the first person who mentioned about the number plate is Chiaki Ichihashi, senior managing director of the bus sciety of Tokyo.
    the bus sciety of Tokyo (Tokyo bus kyokai)
    tel:03-3379-2441
    fax:03-3378-9970
    http://www.tokyobus.or.jp

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  2. Mr Ichihashi said at the second meeting,
    "Drive recorders are attached to approximately 86% of rout buses now.
    When a fall accident in the bus would taking place and we investigate the situation of the accident, we see the picture of the drive recorder
    However, if you see the bicycle would jumping out from the side road, you can do nothing about the bicycles because you cannot identify the bicycle from the picture.
    Therefore I think the bicycle should have the number plate which size would be 5 x 15 cm perpendicular stripe and attached to the saddle or seat post or seat stay to identify the bicycle."

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  3. Time for a some kind of an organized protest ride in Tokyo methinks.

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