‘Mr Loophole’ calls for register of cyclists and e-scooter riders

CYCLISTS should join a registration scheme and face points on their licence if they break the rules of the road, a leading motoring lawyer has suggested.

Nick Freeman, dubbed Mr Loophole after getting celebrities off driving offences, has launched a Parliamentary petition calling for tighter legislation to control bicycles and e-scooters.

He has recommended that all bike riders should have to wear a numbered tabard on the roads, the equivalent of a car registration plate, so that if they commit offences they can be identified.

Mr Freeman suggests fining rule breakers and putting points on their driving licence.

He said there had been a rise in cyclists during lockdown adding: “This is not a war between drivers and others

‘This is not a war between motorists and others but one law for all and harmonious shared road space’

but to have one law for all – to improve safety for all and create harmonious shared road space.

“While there are many responsible cyclists, there are too many with little respect for the rules. As a road traffic lawyer for 40 years something is lacking. Unlike motorists, there is no legal imperative for identification, so anonymity remains a gift for those who cycle with impunity.”

He said cyclists were 15 times more likely to be killed on British roads than motorists, with 4,000 suffering lifechanging injuries each year. Cyclists would benefit from tightening legislation for all road users because it would make their journeys safer. He also wants to see tighter controls on e-scooters.

Currently the only e-scooters allowed on roads are those rented as part of government trials.