A hundred years ago, every cyclist in the country was required to carry a driver’s license and have the document renewed every year for a fee of two francs. Nowadays we enjoy much more freedom while cycling than then.
The document is called: “Permit to cycle. Approved by the Governor of the Government.” The Federal Council issued the legal basis on April 7, 1914, and it remained valid until the 1930s. Under the somewhat unwieldy title “Concordat on a uniform regulation regarding the movement of motor vehicles and bicycles”.
The cantons must implement the regulations and, for example, the canton of Bern regulated cycling on July 21, 1914 through the “Enforcement Ordinance on the Decree on the Intercantonal Concordat on Traffic in Motor Vehicles and Bicycles”. Even in the time of our ancestors, red tape neighs loudly and persistently.
Here are some excerpts from the concordat. Article 58 of the Federal Council Regulation provides:
The required identity card for the Canton of Bern is a booklet with 42 pages. There we will find all regulations in German and French.
According to the Federal Council Regulation, the following persons were exempt from the obligation to provide an identity document:
- Military cyclist on duty.
- Foreigners in transit, provided that their stay in Switzerland does not exceed three months, provided that they are in possession of the control cards of their home country and that this country has reciprocal rights.
The Federal Council also regulated how a bicycle should be equipped. Article 62 concerns alarms, brakes and lighting:
The traffic regulations are extensive and can be found in article numbers 63 to 71:
Authorities instruct cyclists with ten commandments, which are listed on the first two pages of the ticket booklet:
- Before you leave, check that the brakes, lights, reflectors and signal bell are in order.
- Do not carry a second person, dangerous tools or loads on your bicycle.
- Follow the traffic rules carefully: give way to the right, give way to the left, stop on the right.
- Reduce your speed at intersections and get out on steep streets, rather than risk death.
- Only drive in front of other vehicles if the path ahead is clear and clear.
- Don’t get so close behind cars and trams that you hit your head if you stop suddenly. Never get attached to such vehicles.
- Be considerate of pedestrians and do not frighten them by giving warning signals too late.
- Don’t see the street as a place where you can produce yourself as an artist driver. This is too dangerous today.
- Read and follow the traffic rules.
- Drive carefully, even if you do not suspect any danger. Caution and compliance with the 10 pieces of advice will protect you and those around you from damage to your property and assets.
Anyone who ignores the commandments, regulations and laws will of course be punished:
More than a hundred years ago, the state regulated cycling down to the last detail. The basic principles of the legal regulations that apply to car traffic today are already visible.
All in all, we recognize that cycling is one of the few areas where the state now gives us more freedom and requires less paperwork than in the good old days. We don’t need a ticket or license plate now. When driving a car the screw is tightened further and when cycling it is loosened. Yes, the non-motorized two-wheeler is, so to speak, a symbolic vehicle for freedom.
Source: Blick
I am Ross William, a passionate and experienced news writer with more than four years of experience in the writing industry. I have been working as an author for 24 Instant News Reporters covering the Trending section. With a keen eye for detail, I am able to find stories that capture people’s interest and help them stay informed.
