Government to approve new penalties for cyclists

The government is set to approve a Transportation Ministry plan on Sunday to increase penalties for cyclists who violate traffic laws.

According to a Hadashot TV news report Friday, the main focus of the plan will be to ramp up enforcement of existing laws, with an emphasis on new and increased fines.

Those caught riding a bicycle without a helmet will have to cough up NIS 250 to 1000, the network reported, while fines for riding on the sidewalk will also increase by an unknown amount.

Additionally, fines of various amounts will be introduced for transporting another rider, cycling while drunk, or using a cellphone, the report said, as well as for riding through a red light.

Hadashot news also reported that cyclists will be required to wear safety vests at night, though it has not yet been decided whether violators will be fined.

Transportation Minister Israel Katz ordered the director-general of his ministry to put the plan into action as soon as possible, according to the report, which said this would likely be before the end of the year.

The new reported measures come after a teenager was killed last month by a drunk driver in Tel Aviv while riding on his friend’s bike, drawing attention to safety concerns over electric bicycles which have few regulations in Israel.

In the wake of that incident, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed his chief of staff, Yoav Horovitz, the Ministry of Public Security, as well as the Justice and Transportation Ministries to propose a series of measures to increase the safety of electric bicycle riders.