Alleged Assault on Pregnant Woman Sparks Bike Licensing Debate
Vancouver City Councillor, Melissa De Genova, is calling for a bike licencing program after a bizarre incident involving a pregnant woman being assaulted by a cyclist last week.
Mandy Pappas, the victim of the alleged assault, described the incident in a recent Facebook post.
“I am 5 months pregnant and I was just assaulted by this cyclist as I was on my way to vote. He ran a stop sign full speed and I yelled to him that there was a stop sign - as he almost ran me over,” she wrote.
Pappas reported that she shouted at him about the stop sign and that he turned his bike back around and hit her, causing her to fall to the ground. The cyclist was able to get away without being identified.
The incident sparked a debate about public safety and De Genova intends to present a plan that makes cyclists more accountable.
The city councillor is urging the city to adopt a bicycle licensing program that requires cyclists to display visible identification.
“[You] take your driver's test for the basic rules of the road and get your learner's licence,” De Genova said. “If we're really encouraging cycling... as a mode of transportation, why wouldn't we have something similar to that where cyclists would come to get their licence?”
While bike licensing is only in the proposal stages, questions remain about how this would impact insurance coverage, if at all.
Currently, a bike is considered personal property and is currently covered under home insurance under certain circumstances but it may change if licencing is proposed.
As for Pappas and the unidentified cyclist, the man has since come forward and is speaking with police. The investigation is ongoing.
Image Courtesy of Adobe Stock