“Citycard bicycles a world first?

Nottingham City Council may have created a world first with its Citycard bicycles. Whereas in other cities local-authority-provided bicycles for hire have lights permanently fitted to them, Nottingham City Council has decided that lights on bicycles are unnecessary.

The contrast could not be greater. In the cities I have visited this summer - London, Duisburg and Gothenberg - the lights are not just permanently fitted, they are permanently on when the bicycle is in motion, no matter what the weather or light conditions. That's the safe and sensible policy. But Nottingham City Council has a different view, as is evident from the bicycles that are slowly beginning to appear, for example outside the Tourist Information Centre last weekend.

Large numbers of hire bicycles on the streets have a very powerful influence on the public's behaviour and attitudes. For example, in Duisburg this summer, lots of cyclists could be seen using their (permanently fitted) lights even in bright sunshine. Here in Nottingham, many cyclists also use lights during the day, possibly influenced by London's Boris bikes; even when the sun is shining brightly, it helps on heavily shaded roads such as the Embankment, and good lights are indispensable on dull, dank days at this time of year, as well as when -in a few days time- the clocks go back and those cycling to and from work will inevitably be cycling in the dark.

Nottingham City Council's policy of not providing lights will, however, have the opposite effect. It sends a strong signal that bicycle lights are just an optional add-on, a luxury that can be dispensed with in the current economic climate. The example it sets severely undermines the work of the police and others striving for improved cycling safety. The Citycard bicycles should be removed from the streets at once and only returned when they have been properly fitted with good-quality lights.”