Illawarra Bicycle User Group chairman Werner Steyer said he supported the idea that cyclists carry ID but claimed it shouldn’t be mandatory.

“It just adds aggression to the situation,” he said.

“Every time somebody makes a law, you get people thinking it’s an invasion of privacy.

“As soon as they turn around and say you have to have it [photo ID] and pay a fee, people will start to get their back up.

“Why not just have a good campaign that explains the importance of carrying ID and leave it to the community?

“Police have enough on their hands, monitoring helmets and drivers on their mobile phones.”

NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay held roundtable discussions last week regarding cycling safety issues and explored the idea of trialling several new laws.

These include increasing the penalty for motorists who don’t keep a safe distance from cyclists, as well as introducing licensing legislation requiring cyclists to carry photo identification.

This would make it compulsory for cyclists above age 18 to carry any existing photo ID, such as a driver’s license.

Kiama Independent