A licence to drive a car or lorry… and now ride a bike?

THE Royal Automobile Club of Spain (RACE) has suggested cyclists should require licences before they can go on the road.

A points system for the licence, compulsory insurance and even a licence plate are also included in the proposals.

As it stands, cyclists share almost identical rights as pedestrians, except that they are obligated to use the roads.

A spokesperson for RACE said: “We are not against cyclists. We want all road users to be safe… What we are proposing is that road users follow the same rules and have the same rights.”

A bicycle licence would cost an estimated €70, plus the cost of insuring a bike and the necessary paperwork to get a licence plate.

Manuel Martin, head of the cycling pressure group, ConBici, said it was “absolutely ridiculous that RACE has made a proposal that nowhere else in the world would think of implementing.”

Bringing in such measures “would stop almost everyone from riding a bike,” he said.