Brian Cooke of TFL claims cyclists are freeloaders.

[glenn forger]

https://twitter.com/BrianCookeBeck/status/551329127329173504

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Follow Brian Cooke‏@BrianCookeBeck
@BristolCyclist @VincentStops irrelevant. They pay lots in taxes that help pay. Cyclists pay virtually zilch.

 

[Hip Priest]

Brian Cock more like.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

By the looks of it brian would benefit from getting out on a bike himself.

 

[downfader]

He's been threatening to sue a number of riders on twitter for "deformation"

 

[dodgy]

He's getting completely demolished on Twitter by fact and reason. But it won't make any difference, the cronies at TFL will likely still look after their own.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

What an embarrassment.

 

[Bollo]

By the looks of it brian would benefit from getting out on a bike himself.

Separated at birth? (or hatching? I don't know how Hutts, or tfl board members are born)

 

[Pale Rider]

All Cooke seems to be saying is motoring is more heavily taxed than cycling.

It's a banal observation, but hardly an offensive one.

 

[400bhp]

He's been threatening to sue a number of riders on twitter for "deformation"

Looks like he deformed himself by over eating.

 

[BrynCP]

They pay lots in taxes that help pay. Cyclists pay virtually zilch.

New tax band? Cyclist, 0%?
Wear your helmet or Lycra to the shops and pay 0 VAT?

I rarely spend my money, but since taking up cycling Wiggle et al have collected a lot of VAT off me! That'll be in addition to five figure income tax bill.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

All Cooke seems to be saying is motoring is more heavily taxed than cycling.

It's a banal observation, but hardly an offensive one.

A TfL board member who doesn't have the slightest idea how the roads of his city are funded. That is a deep insult to the people he's pretending to represent. And he's now trying to wheedle his way out of his stupidity by saying there are few cars that pay no VED. That's few cars that produce small enough emissions. He really doesn't have a clue.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

I pay taxes....council taxes, VED taxes, income taxes, tax on booze, VAT etc etc etc........and I'm a cyclist.

I don't use taxis

 

[snorri]

I would say Brian has the expertise and knowledge to write a helpful book for cyclists, it could be titled "The Cyclists Guide to Cake Stops in Britain"

 

[glenn forger]

£18 grand a year he gets.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

£18 grand a year he gets.

And, could you guess it, free transport....

With effect from 1 August 2004, the basic fee is £18,000 per annum. Additional fees are paid for each appointment to a Subordinate Body, up to a maximum payment of £24,000 per annum.

The additional fees are paid at the rate of £2,000 per annum as a member and £4,000 per annum as the Chair, of a Subordinate Body. Most members also receive free travel for themselves and a nominee valid on TfL transport business areas.
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So, for paying ''zilch'' he gets to criticise cyclists for freeloading, and after getting himself sacked from TravelLondon for inappropriate political activity (campaigning for Boris) he gets rewarded by Boris with a paying post on the board. Another Conservative activist, all guns blazing for free enterprise, prizing money from the public purse.