Smithers RCMP will be on their bicycles as summer months approach us. This will be the RCMP's second year of the bike patrol but don't expect just violation tickets and warnings, because they will be doing the positive ticketing program once again. 

There are 6 RCMP officers who will be circulating the town on their bicycles to check out places that may not always get looked at while in a vehicle.  If these bike patrol officers see youth following the rules of the road or even just having good manners, they could receive a positive ticket.

Community Safety Officer Matt Davey said, “Kids who are being good citizens you know, kids who hold the door open just being good responsible citizens so we want recognize that sort of behaviour because there is certainly a lot of it going on in the community. "

That said the bike patrol does not just pay attention to violations on just bicycles either,  Smithers RCMP Sgt. Kirsten Marshall says,”We're still out there doing seatbelts as well as the our bike patrol, they are still doing all those things if they see people stunting with their vehicles, or driving aggressively any of those things as well, we are still police officers we're still doing that, this just give us the extra ability to do something different."

Davey stresses that it is important to remember that once you're on a bicycle you're now a vehicle and should be following the rules of the road. “In particular main street becomes a busy place and I know people want to travel on their with their bikes its good for the environment it's the responsible thing to d, you know please observe all the traffic control that is s there we also need people to refrain from driving on our side walks, because of the width of main street, especially parents with small children they choose to ride on the side walk because they feel it's the safe place to be, but actually it creates danger for pedestrians."

If you're on the street and don't think you’re doing anything wrong and a RCMP officer approaches you,  don't necessarily think that it's going to be bad news, you’re probably doing something and just being recognized for it.