Cyclists found riding through Oak Bay at night without lights, will get a two week amnesty to buy some in lieu of a violation ticket.
Oak Bay Police launched Project Lumiere on Monday to encourage cyclists to be more visible at night and comply with the Motor Vehicle Act.
“High visibility with adequate lighting on your bike could save your life,” said Cst. Rick Anthony.
Police will target cyclists riding in the dark without the legally required lighting.
If a cyclist doesn’t own lights, he or she would be offered a two week window to buy lights, install them and visit the Oak Bay police station with the bike and proof of purchase. Otherwise, the ticket would be processed and the violator fined.
“The primary goal is to promote and enforce bike safety, not just penalize people for not adhering to the law,” Anthony said.
“We would much rather have safe cyclists than someone just paying a fine and likely still continuing to ride without proper and adequate lighting on their bikes.”
The program runs to March 23.