A Toronto cop is being applauded online for giving fines to cyclists caught on camera running a red light, and is reminding bikers that they too have to follow rules of the road.
The officer, known as Bill the Toronto cop, regularly posts educational and awareness videos on social media, with his posts gaining hundreds of thousands of views.
In a TikTok video posted on Wednesday, the officer recorded himself watching two bikers roll through a red light directly in front of his cruiser.
“Come on, are you kidding me? Like right in front of me? I guess they do this all the time,” the officer, who is known as Bill the Toronto cop, said before flipping on his sirens.
@nowtoronto A Toronto cop is being applauded online for giving fines to cyclists caught on camera running a red light, and is reminding bikers that they too have to follow rules of the road. #TorontoPolice #TorontoBiking ♬ original sound – Now Toronto
“Time to light them up. I can’t wait to hear what they have to say.”
After pulling the cyclists over, the officer asks, “Is there a reason why you guys aren’t following the rules of the road?”
The bikers respond that they treat red lights like stop signs—only stopping briefly to check for traffic before continuing through.
“That’s the way you guys understand what a red light is?” the officer asks. “For bikes, yeah,” one of them replies.
The officer ultimately issues each of them a $325 ticket under the Highway Traffic Act (HTA) for failing to stop at a red light. “Some people have to learn the hard way,” he says at the end of the video.
That total includes a set fine of $260, plus a $60 victim fine surcharge and $5 in court costs, bringing the total payable to $325. While officers typically don’t provide the full breakdown on the spot, it’s included in the fine listed on the ticket.
In the caption, the Toronto cop reinforces the message: “Bicycles and e-bikes must follow the same rules of the road as motor vehicles do… Without a doubt, more enforcement and education is needed with cyclists obeying the rules of the road.”
In a statement to Now Toronto, a spokesperson for Toronto Police Services emphasized the shared responsibility of both drivers and cyclists on the road.
“Following the rules of the road helps keep everyone safe – cyclists, drivers, and pedestrians alike. Just like drivers, cyclists are expected to stop at red lights, signal their turns, and travel in the correct direction. These rules help prevent collisions and ensure the safe and predictable flow of traffic for all road users.”
BIKERS FACE SAME FINES AS DRIVERS FOR ROAD INFRACTIONS
Under Ontario’s HTA, both motorists and cyclists can face a range of fines for disobeying traffic laws.
Some include $85 for failing to stop at a stop sign, $85 for not yielding to ongoing traffic, $150 for not staying to the right when moving slower than traffic, $260 for failing to stop at a red light and $300 for failing to yield to pedestrians.
More serious infractions—like failing to stop for a school bus with flashing lights—can result in a $400 fine.
These penalties can be even steeper when the offence occurs in a designated community safety zone, such as near schools or areas with high pedestrian traffic.
The video has sparked a flurry of online reactions, with many users applauding the officer and sharing their own frustrations with cyclists.
“I see a lot of that. If you ride a bike, e-bike, whatever, you should obey the rules of the road just as much as a vehicle on the road. If not, then they should get a ticket just like us,” one user on TikTok commented.
“I’ve nearly hit close to 7 cyclists in my neighbourhood ever since I moved in over a year ago ’cause they be running stop signs—then they look at me like I’m the bad guy. It’s a four-way stop sign too.”
“The entitlement of the cyclists—it’s crazy. Also, even if it’s a stop sign, they still failed to stop and look. That’s a rolling stop, which is still a ticket,” one person wrote.
“They should require insurance and registration if they are on the road. They are all of a sudden pedestrians when they need to follow the Highway Traffic Act and motorists when they demand that vehicles share the road,” a user suggested.
