TransportEnded 31 Oct
Should cyclists have to take a compulsory safety course before riding on the roads?
Yes 69%No 31%1,996 votes cast
Cyclists in Great Britain do not need a licence, insurance, registration or any training to ride on public roads. Bikeability, the voluntary national scheme, has trained over five million children since 2007. In March 2026 the government confirmed £78m for it within a £108m active travel package. Ministers have said that compulsory insurance or registration would cost too much and be too complex, and that it would work against getting people cycling. In October 2026 the issue returned to the news after reports of falling police fines for cyclists.
63 Opinions
Possibly my most nanny state opinion but lime bikes etc being completely unregulated is ruining London. The amount of times I've nearly been hit by a cyclist running a red light or coming up on the pavement out of nowhere. And people just park them anywhere and completely block the pavements which as a wheelchair user makes getting around infinitely harder. You wouldn't let someone rent a car without a license so why can just anyone rent a bike and ride it like a twat?
Get real, Just more red tape for law abiding people, leaving the rest to drive and scoot around as they wish untrained and uninsured
Not compulsory. But why not bring back cycling proficiency? That could help raise confidence and skills for young and old
I remember taking a Cycling Proficiency Test at Junior School. It made sure we knew the rules of the road and what to do/not to do. I believe that some cyclists need reminding the rules of the road.
There is no doubt that cycling is so much better for all of us. We should be encouraging more, not making it more difficult with bureaucratic nonsense like this
30ish years ago, you used to have to do a cycling proficiency course/day at school. Something like this taught the basics and awareness. Appreciate policing it might be tricky, but if it was compulsory at school, then it would be fairly obvious who had completed the course. Refreshers every couple of years through secondary school and you're sorted.
The nanny state will stop at nothing when it comes to needing a license for everything. The government would require a mandatory license to piss if they could get away with it.
As an experienced cycle mechanic I would welcome this. I have seen far too many of my fellow cyclists do the most ridiculous things on the road, either through ignorance or arrogance however I would couple this with an at fault accident assumption, similar to those in the cycling nations of Europe that protects the more vulnerable cyclists. I cycle extensively across Europe and respect on both sides is clearly evident in such countries. E bike rental is a separate issue.
Yes. I've done this, it was valuable both in education but also practical advice on space and positioning, especially at junctions, roundabouts, and all should benefit from this.
Most schools these days run "bikeability" (an updated version of cycling proficiency), which should be enough. As a keen cyclist I wouldn't object to compulsory licensing and insurance. However, the very many irresponsible cyclists that plague our footpaths on ebikes now will just ignore any changes.