A hybrid electric bike which is capable of speeds of up to 45 kph is causing a headache for officials in the Netherlands, the Volkskrant reports on Wednesday.

The Bluelabel Cruiser, which is made in Germany, looks like a tough mountain bike with fat wheels and straight handlebars. It costs over €3,000 and several hundred have already been sold in the Netherlands, the Volkskrant says.

But because it can go so fast, the bike should be officially categorised as a moped and limited to a maximum speed of 25 kph, the paper points out. It should also be officially registered as a vehicle, have third party insurance and blue number plates.

‘But no-one does that,’ Coen Bartelds, of the Amsterdam bike and scooter shop Juizz, told the paper. Furthermore, he points out, if you are going to travel at 45 kph you should actually wear a helmet, be on the road and have a yellow number plate.

The Dutch cycling union Fietsersbond has organised a meeting on Saturday to discuss the super bike and how it should be treated in law. ‘It is a good form of transport but we don’t think it should be on city cycle paths and nor should mopeds,’ spokesman Arien de Jong told the Volkskrant.

A spokesman for the transport ministry said the vehicle is currently classed as a bike but from 2017 will be considered a scooter under EU guidelines.