(CNN) A politician has said cyclists in Germany should get an extra day of vacation because they are healthier and take fewer days off work.

"People who regularly cycle to work should be entitled to one additional day off a year," Stefan Gelbhaar, a Green member of Germany's federal parliament, told CNN.

"Statistics have shown that people who regularly cycle to work fall ill less frequently and have fewer days of absence from work," he added, citing Dutch studies and research from the German environment agency.

Gelbhaar added that there were some financial incentives aimed at encouraging people to cycle to work, but that none of these rewarded "the positive effect of bike commuting on workers' health" and lower rate of absence from work.

The extra vacation would also act as a motivation for commuters to use bicycles instead of cars, he added, calling on the government to support his suggestion.

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