RE: Room for drivers and cyclists to coexist, Letters to the Editor published 13 June 2018
Mr. Andy Saunders states in his opening paragraph that as a cyclist he is allowed by law to operate his bike in the whole lane. Was he referring to the bike lane or the roadway? If it was the latter, he is incorrect. Sec. 183(2)(c) of the B.C. Motor Vehicle Act states that cyclists are to ride as near as practicable to the right side of the highway.
In other words, the road is reserved for motor vehicles, not bikes. A couple of years ago I was driving my pick up on 32 Ave. near the downtown core. A cyclist, a man in his 40s, was riding his bike on the road, approximately two feet from the centre line, travelling at typical bike speeds. Needless to say, he was impeding vehicle traffic. After a few blocks, he stopped and I had a chat with him. He insisted that he had a legal right to operate his bike there, but could not actually state the law that allowed it. I suggested he read Sec 183(2)(c) of the Motor Vehicle Act.
Mr. Saunders if you are stating that you believe you have a legal right to operate your bike in the entire road, could you please inform me of the actual statutory or case law that authorizes this, as I would like to read up on it.
Gary Butt