Cyclists may have to get number plates and insurance for their bikes under new laws.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is also considering new measures that would mean cyclists have to abide by 20mph speed limits or face penalties.

Shapps has backed the proposed changes which include new laws that could see cyclists being given licence penalty points or fines for breaking speed limits or running red lights.

He told MailOnline:  “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.

“Particularly where you’ve got 20mph limits on increasing numbers of roads, cyclists can easily exceed those, so I want to make speed limits apply to cyclists.

“That obviously does then lead you into the question of: ‘Well, how are you going to recognise the cyclist? Do you need registration plates and insurance? And that sort of thing.’

“So I’m proposing there should be a review of insurance and how you actually track cyclists who do break the laws.”

He continued: “I don’t want to stop people from getting on their bike, it’s a fantastic way to travel, we’ve seen a big explosion of cycling during Covid and since, I think it has lots of health benefits.

“But I see no reason why cyclists should break the road laws, why they should speed, why they should bust red lights and be able to get away with it and I think we do have to not turn a blind eye to that and I’m proposing setting up a review to do exactly that.”