Lord Trefgarne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Trefgarne on 2016-04-12.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to require cyclists using the public highway to carry photo identification.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We have no plans to make cyclists carry photographic or other forms of identification. The police already have sufficient powers if they are unsure of a person’s identity. There are other users of the highway, for instance pedestrians and horse riders who are also not required to carry personal identification, or have other forms of identification, e.g. registration numbers displayed.
The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 sets out the general powers available to the police, including in circumstances when an individual’s identity needs to be established, or when false identity information has been provided. Similarly, powers exist under Section 168 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, where the person is suspected of having committed an offence under Sections 28 (Dangerous Cycling) and 29 (Careless Cycling) of the same Act. The application of any such powers is an operational matter for the police.
