Women get right to ride

Iranian women are being allowed to ride solo again for the first time in 25 years.

The ruling – from the chief of the nation’s traffic police – says it is now not an offence for women to ride and they are welcome to apply for a licence just like men.

The Islamic revolution of 1979 effectively ruled out riding for women – though driving and riding bikes has been tolerated since the 1990s, according to IranMania.com

A previous plan to get women on bikes (in 2002, see link, right) was ended when officials stepped in.