I was almost tempted to start this subject a day or two ago.... but I was too scared!
Hmmmm, the more I've thought about it recently, the more I think what a good idea this would be. But of course, I'm thinking in terms of how it would impact me, as an adult - and I would welcome it. I would also welcome it as the father of a 7-year old daughter who will one day want to ride to school (actually, she wants to do it now, but it's just not possible).
BUT, there must be tens of thousands (I'm guessing here, so don't hold that against me) of kids who love cycling to school or to their mates house who may well see things very differently - plus a lot of parents who would feel the same. I can hear it now: "why does my kid have to take a bloody stupid test just so he can ride to school half a mile away? He already know how to ride!".
How on earth could it be policed? I think it
could work - sure, a lot of cyclists won't be happy about it, but I think it could be done. Without licence plates for bikes, it would be much more difficult to police it, but once a cyclist has been stopped for an offence, it's pretty much the same as for motorists.
A thought: Could some kind of road cycling test be compulsory for those cyclists who have been cautioned for any cycling-related offence? Something along the lines of "you've proved you don't understand how to ride safely, now you must prove you can".
Another thought: What does the bikeability scheme actually teach (I took cycling proficiency when I was young and my daughter hasn't got there yet, so I don't know)? I'm assuming it teaches how to ride a bike first and foremost, then how to ride safely on the roads. Could it be taken one stage further and made compulsory before allowing anyone to cycle on the roads, thereby effectively licencing a cyclist at this point? And could this really work for children and adults alike?
I think the simple truth is that if we'd all grown up with some kind of cycling licence, we'd all be OK with it, but now - I see too much opposition.