An increasing number of people are riding bicycles nowadays to reduce the risk of infection with the novel coronavirus amid the ongoing pandemic. There have been many cases of reckless cycling, making it an urgent necessity to improve people's cycling behavior.
The number of people using bicycle-sharing services is rapidly increasing in urban areas. Docomo Bike Share, Inc., which owns 12,000 bikes nationwide, saw new registrants increase by 20% to 60% each month in the April-July period, compared to the levels in March before the state of emergency was declared.
The increase appears to reflect how people want to avoid crowded trains and buses when commuting or shopping. Some people may have wanted to exercise because they are tending to stay at home, refraining from going out.
Bicycle-sharing services are becoming available in more places. In some business districts, parking lots are overcrowded with bikes used and left by commuters, partially blocking paths for pedestrians. Service operators should set up facilities that can handle the demand from an increasing number of users.
It is concerning that dangerous cycling has become more conspicuous as more people ride bicycles.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, it handled more than 1,300 cases as traffic violations involving bicycles in Tokyo in the March-July period, or 1.5 times the number in the same period last year. In many cases, cyclists ignored traffic lights, according to the MPD.
The virus crisis has boosted demand for food delivery services, making delivery riders on bikes a common sight around the city.
There have been numerous complaints about food delivery cyclists, including reports of people who were "cycling around while looking at a smartphone" and "nearly hit a pedestrian." There was also an incident in which a cyclist entered an expressway while delivering food, and another involving a collision with a pedestrian.
One food delivery operator has introduced a system in which a smartphone app alerts cyclists when it detects they are going too fast. Measures to prevent accidents, such as traffic safety training sessions, must be strengthened.
The number of bicycle accidents has been on a downward trend in recent years, but the number of accidents involving pedestrians is not decreasing significantly. High-speed sports bicycles and heavy electric bicycles have become popular, increasing the risk of serious accidents.
Bicycles are categorized as light vehicles under the Road Traffic Law, and there are traffic rules that cyclists must follow. Riders should be aware that reckless cycling in violation of the rules is a dangerous act that can cause a serious accident.
It is also important to create a road environment that enables people to cycle safely.
The central government and the Tokyo metropolitan government plan to set up new cycling-only lanes on major roads in Tokyo over an eventual total of about 100 kilometers.
There have been cases in which cars are illegally parked in bicycle lanes, blocking traffic for cyclists. It is hoped that the police will also strengthen their crackdown on this on-street parking.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on Sept. 13, 2020.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
