North Carolina to introduce $10 registration fee for bikes

A North Carolina State Representative has introduced a Bill that may see bicycle owners over the age of 16 required to pay an annual fee of $10 to register their bikes.

According to Adventure Journal, State Rep. Jeffrey Elmore introduced the Bill by request of a number of residents “as a means of identifying cyclists who relieve themselves on private property, help themselves to apples growing on trees in the area, and who repeatedly clash with motorists.”

If a cyclist fails to register, they may be fined $25. Reportedly, the money gathered from the registration would go towards “bicycle safety-related projects”, such as building alternative cycle routes and bike lanes throughout the state.

Critics have raised concerns with the idea of registration/taxation of bicycles, due to the poor track record of implementing similar schemes in the past, and as a hurdle for disadvantaged cyclists for whom the registration fee may make cycling inaccessible.