Reported by The Guardian
Police scheme in City of London offers errant cyclists a choice – watch a roadside safety video or pay a £50 penalty
W hen Aman cycled through a red light in the City of London this week, he was surprised when the police pulled him over. He was positively shocked when, instead of giving him a fine, officers took him into a gazebo to watch a bike safety film.
Aman was one of 30 cyclists caught in the first 20 minutes that morning, as part of a new scheme by City of London police to dissuade cyclists from running red lights.
More from the original report
Many concerned pedestrians have celebrated the time-out zone and, perhaps more surprisingly, cyclists have too.
The new pop-up scheme, called “stop, look, listen, change”, gives offending riders the chance to view an educational film about the dangers of red light jumping. Those caught by police who do not want to pay a £50 fine are taken to a “sin bin” by the roadside, where they watch testimonies from visually impaired road users.
“It is about taking that time away,” said Rob McTaggart, media and engagement manager at City of London police. “Time they didn’t stay waiting for the light is now the time they’re having to spend watching the video. It’s a bit of instant justice in that regard.”
As cyclists continued to be corralled into the time-out zone, McTaggart said the police team had noticed no difference between the numbers of red light runners on hired e-bikes versus those on regular bicycles.
When the sin bin was first launched two weeks ago, roughly 70 people were brought in within 90 minutes, McTaggart said. None of the halted riders opted to take the fine.
Watching the safety film, McTaggart said, was useful for spreading road education.
“Right now you can jump on a bike without any training whatsoever,” he said. “It’s about that understanding that just because you can go, it doesn’t mean you should go. We’re not going to enforce our way out of it.”
Sgt Stuart Ford, who helped create the scheme, said it was inspired by…