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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
Sophie Buchan

Cyclists could face 20mph speed limit and licence plates under road rule shake up

Cyclists could soon see a shake up when it comes to road rules with it being suggested they may have to adhere to new laws.

The proposed changes means people on bikes could be asked to have insurance meaning pedestrians who have been seriously injured to secure compensation.

In addition to this, it's also being suggested that cyclists strict to a limit of 20mph and have markings on their bikes that will be able to unique identify them such as a licence plate.

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The proposed changes, according to the Daily Mail, comes as there is said to be a belief among ministers that cyclists should be following the same rules as motorists and other rules.

If these changes go ahead, it is not understood whether cyclists would be issued fines or issued points on their licence for instances such as speeding.

Mr Shapps told the Mail: "Somewhere where cyclists are actually not breaking the law is when they speed, and that cannot be right, so I absolutely propose extending speed limit restrictions to cyclists.

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"I don’t want to stop people from getting on their bike, it’s a fantastic way to travel, and we’ve seen a big explosion of cycling during Covid and since. But I see no reason why cyclists should break the road laws and be able to get away with it."

According to the Mail, prominent road laws solicitor Nick Freeman added: "This is something that needs to happen for everyone’s safety and Grant Shapps should be congratulated for eventually listening."

Addressing the Daily Mail claims, a Transport Scotland spokesperson told Glasgow Live: “Vehicle registration is generally a reserved matter operated by the DVLA. We have not been involved in discussions to date and would have to establish whether bicycles are classed as vehicles to understand what its impact on Scotland, if any, would be.

“We are committed to supporting many more people to walk, wheel or cycle for everyday journeys and are allocating record funding for that purpose. Cycle licences or registration plates would put that at risk, by making it harder for people to choose cycling for everyday short journeys. There appears to be no clear evidence base for such a policy, and so it has played no part in our proposals.

"There are many more effective steps that can be taken to ensure that roads are safer for all users – for example, increasing accessible cycle infrastructure, improving street design and making sure that all road users are aware of good safe ways of using the roads.”

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