Police in Tokyo cracking down on reckless cyclists
The Metropolitan Police Department has decided to strengthen its measures on bicycles as more people are using them to commute to work or for home delivery services because of the spread of the coronavirus.
As accidents involving pedestrians and traffic violations by bicycle riders have been reported in Tokyo, the police department stepped up its measures to deal with reckless cyclists on Friday.
Complaints and requests regarding bicycles have increased by about 50% from January to May compared to the same period last year. In particular, there have been a number of complaints about cyclists for home delivery services since March, such as “[The cyclist] ran a red light” and “[The cyclist] almost hit a pedestrian.”
An Uber Eats delivery rider got on the Metropolitan Expressway on May 12, and another Uber Eats delivery rider hit and injured a pedestrian in Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, on May 18. Accidents involving commuter cyclists have been reported as well.