Cycle to work: Budget clampdown

[PK99]

From Graunian online this morning:

One government figure told the newspaper: “Cycle to work should be about helping ordinary commuters switch to greener travel, not giving tax breaks to high earners buying £4,000 e-bikes for weekend rides in the Surrey Hills. Taxpayers shouldn’t be footing the bill for luxury leisure.”

 

[Punkawallah]

So really, government ministers should be using public transport rather than chauffeur driven cars?

 

[dicko]

So really, government ministers should be using public transport rather than chauffeur driven cars?

Quintin Hogg MP (Lord Hailsham) used to cycle to the Houses of Parliament each day on his Moulton bicycle which inspired me to purchase one.
I totally agree e bikes should have a limit on purchase price as our money will be wasted.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

At first glance that does seem perfectly sensible to me, the name is after all a hint as to the scheme's intentions.

However it is a straw man and surprising that it would be brought up now given how little it would save,

https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...-markets-implications-for-the-schemes-success
This quote from the above did suprise me, I was expecting it to be higher, 34% of users having chosen bicycles priced at over £1,000.
sorry if this is NACA territory but it seems to be preparation for The Budget and tax rises to help create the non normal working person and those people deserve it because they have a Pinarello.

But that doesn't stop me feeling that within a year or so we will see the press running articles saying Local bike shop closed due to governments removal of the CtW scheme.

After all the scheme has admin costs any many schemes use either this or thier bulk buying power to demand discounts from retailers, SPA Cycles for example advertise

It is tempting to say put a cap on the bike price, but where? Looking at Ribble it would seem to need to be around £3k on ebikes and £2k on unpowered.

To my mind a top of range Carrera from Halfords might be all that you need, but it does seem reasonable to allow for a certain amount of but X is nicer and I will ride X at the weekends rather than having two bikes.

If you look at the spec of the 725 Ribble https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-cgr-725-enthusiast/?colour=dark-blue it is more than you need for a commute bike but not much more than many would want as a commute and weekend ride.

Bye

Ian

 

[Drago]

Taxpayers shouldn’t be footing the bill for luxury leisure.”

Unless its MP's Jollies.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I have met a lot of people who have bought a bike on the scheme with zero intention of using the bike for work

which basically just penalises people who don't work

and people who buy a used bike

and does naff all to change the pollution caused by commuting and the fitness of "The Common Man"

 

[FishFright]

The politics of envy is sadly the norm nowadays.

 

[fossyant]

So what happens with the EV salary sacrifice eh... I suspect there may be uproar at my employers if people can't buy an e-bike for work, but can get a £50k EV.

 

[Beebo]

It’s low hanging fruit.
Why should you get tax relief on a £4k bike.
I have no issue with it being £2k.
It sounds like they are taking a look and lots of salary sacrifice schemes. Pensions are likely to be looked at too.

 

[Drago]

I used to commute on mine. Im sure many do.

As Fishy suggests, without some empirical evidence to actually prove how many people may - or may not - be tearing the arse out it the whole thing is just dog whistle politics.

Fortunately politics, as it relates to cycling, is still permitted here before anyone gets all het up.

 

[fossyant]

Same - used to commute on mine, and couldn't claim business miles on it whilst it was being 'paid for' - so the savings weren't great. That bike has gone now and I'm commuting on an old 90's MTB. £2k should just about get something at a decent (long lasting) spec, but even many years ago, the £1k didn't get me my fixed gear commuter. I had to put a few hundred towards it, then buy rack/panniers separately. And this bike didn't have gears. But £2k is pushing it for a decent e-bike.

 

[pclay]

...but I want to buy a £3k wheelset on the C2W scheme......

 

[fossyant]

TBH, the scheme we went with isn't one of the most popular and it's not many retailers that accepted them until more recently. I've found one that sells a bike I'm after, but might just squeeze the £2k if I bought it without wheels and paid for them myself. But, here is the rub, there are lots of 'sales' where you can get a similar bike discounted and they offer zero percent from a retailer you want to use.

I never bothered after my first bike on the scheme, as the saving wasn't huge, but it did get the purchase 'approved' by MrsF.

 

[Punkawallah]

It’s low hanging fruit.
Why should you get tax relief on a £4k bike.
I have no issue with it being £2k.
It sounds like they are taking a look and lots of salary sacrifice schemes. Pensions are likely to be looked at too.

4k? Mine was capped at 1k.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

I was wrong, it took less than a day!

Bye

Ian