Imagine a world where motorists had to maintain the roads they used.

[wiggydiggy]

Our local cycle group clearing overgrown cycleway. The council don't do any maintenance on these.

View attachment 776846

Well done on taking the iniative but why dont the council do it, have they been asked?

 

[Drago]

Well done on taking the iniative but why dont the council do it, have they been asked?

Probably too busy twinning themselves with Dresden or Nagasaki.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Well done on taking the iniative but why dont the council do it, have they been asked?

Their official position is "We don't give a sh!t, so just fùck off"

I paraphrase, but only a little

 

[grldtnr]

Our local cycle group clearing overgrown cycleway. The council don't do any maintenance on these.

View attachment 776846

You can bet your left spherical hairy dangly object that the jobsworth of your local authority will have objections to cyclegroups voluntary doing this,,
And why should we have too!
Actually I must get to writing to my local MP & Councillors, about such matters ,in Green Crayon of course.
I do use some greenways , which really ought to be cut back, but they are in a different authority jurisdiction, so defacto can't upbrail them about it..
They barely maintain the verges around here, occasionally they move the grass, then come at it mob handed, one each side on mowers, doubled with a strimmer man then 2 with weed blowers to clear the trimmings, why not have an oik with a yard broom , wheelie bin, and two boards to pick up the cuttings, passing traffic soon scatters the cuttings all over, ( not to say anything about the fuel bills!)

 

[Beebo]

I'd allow friends and relatives to register their cars in my name for a £50 a year fee.

A nice little side hustle for King Chas.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

You can bet your left spherical hairy dangly object that the jobsworth of your local authority will have objections to cyclegroups voluntary doing this,,

You're wrong, they are aware and have no objection.

Please can you ensure your testicle is properly packaged in ice in a sealed container before posting to me.

Thank you for your attention in this matter.

 

[nellietheelephant]

Most would argue that they pay for the upkeep of roads via their road tax which cyclists should also be paying 🙄🙄

There's no such thing as 'road tax'. All roads, apart from motorways and some trunk roads are funded through our council tax.

 

[nellietheelephant]

I doubt there are many cyclists who don't pay road tax for their cars though.

.........vehicle tax........

 

[Alex321]

I doubt there are many cyclists who don't pay road tax for their cars though.

There isn't a single UK cyclist who pays road tax, since there is no such thing.

Yes, that is the argument many motorists would use, but they are wrong.

What they wrongly think of as "road Tax" is actually Vehicle Excise Duty, which is not hypothecated to roads, and has no relevance to upkeep of them.

 

[Pblakeney]

I would too if I had his means and storage space, I'd be on Autosh*t* like a shot looking for suggestions as to what shonky old knackers modern classics to add to my fleet.

Best to go for a golden oldie.

Vehicles exempt from vehicle tax​

If your vehicle was built before 1 January 1985, you can stop paying vehicle tax from 1 April 2025.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Their official position is "We don't give a sh!t, so just fùck off"

I paraphrase, but only a little

No money, got it. How are the council dinners going I wonder whilst they debate this?

 

[Tom B]

*mounts hobby horse*

I have a bike and a car, I choose to cycle most places and the car gets used about 3 days a month.

if I didn't have a bike I would use the car more. I ride about 8'000 miles a year.

Despite using the car 3 days a month I pay as much VEL, formerly road fund licence, as someone who uses it daily.

Now my bike is much smaller, it needs less road, it's much lighter so the "road it needs" can be constructed more lightly and cheaply, it is considerably lighter so the road it uses needs less maintaining and repairing.

Now my bike is exempt from VEL but the 1500kg car costs £35 a year by virtue of when it was made being seen as a "green diesel".

I would happily pay VEL on the bike on a proportionate scale, but it's probably not worth collecting.

... here is were I get all ideological. VEL in it's current form has suffered mission creep. It's somehow used as a tool to encourage people to buy when is seen as environmentally good cars, but it's blunt tool.

The taxation of motor vehicles needs a top down change, IMHO pay per mile is the only sensible and fair option, but I'd go further and add in a multiplier for vehicle weight, or some sort of damage / wear to roads caused scoring. You'd then encourage manufactures to produce lighter and more efficient vehicles that are kinder to the roads.

Historically it has been argued fuel duty is effectively a pay per mile tax that has encouraged more efficient use of fuel.

EVs are the big disruptor. They have until recently been zero rated for VEL. They are heavier and their torque delivery means they have been known to eat tyres as people take advantage the torque both things for me also equal extra road wear and damage.
My other big bugbear with EVs is that the "fuel" isnt taxed. Not only is it not taxed but it's cheaper or even subsidised. It seems bonkers to me that you can charge an EV at 5p per kwh, or even for free at times with some tarifs, but yet to cook my food, run the fridge or heat my home, pretty essential stuff it's 27p per kWh.

it seems bonkers to me that we are letting people drive EVs around, often on frivolous needless journeys (see the yummy mummy crowd at my kids school all in their EVs trying to keep up with each other while driving half a mile to school) using elecrric at 5p per Kwh while we have people struggling with bills for power for essentials paying five times that to cook and heat .

Time to tax EV traction current?.... but some sort of pay per mile sounds simpler.

And before I sound Anti EV... I'd have one tomorrow, it's just the sums don't add up... yet.




anyway surely I'm due a rebate on my VEL?

 

[roubaixtuesday]

*mounts hobby horse*

I have a bike and a car, I choose to cycle most places and the car gets used about 3 days a month.

if I didn't have a bike I would use the car more. I ride about 8'000 miles a year.

Despite using the car 3 days a month I pay as much VEL, formerly road fund licence, as someone who uses it daily.

Now my bike is much smaller, it needs less road, it's much lighter so the "road it needs" can be constructed more lightly and cheaply, it is considerably lighter so the road it uses needs less maintaining and repairing.

Now my bike is exempt from VEL but the 1500kg car costs £35 a year by virtue of when it was made being seen as a "green diesel".

I would happily pay VEL on the bike on a proportionate scale, but it's probably not worth collecting.

... here is were I get all ideological. VEL in it's current form has suffered mission creep. It's somehow used as a tool to encourage people to buy when is seen as environmentally good cars, but it's blunt tool.

The taxation of motor vehicles needs a top down change, IMHO pay per mile is the only sensible and fair option, but I'd go further and add in a multiplier for vehicle weight, or some sort of damage / wear to roads caused scoring. You'd then encourage manufactures to produce lighter and more efficient vehicles that are kinder to the roads.

Historically it has been argued fuel duty is effectively a pay per mile tax that has encouraged more efficient use of fuel.

EVs are the big disruptor. They have until recently been zero rated for VEL. They are heavier and their torque delivery means they have been known to eat tyres as people take advantage the torque both things for me also equal extra road wear and damage.
My other big bugbear with EVs is that the "fuel" isnt taxed. Not only is it not taxed but it's cheaper or even subsidised. It seems bonkers to me that you can charge an EV at 5p per kwh, or even for free at times with some tarifs, but yet to cook my food, run the fridge or heat my home, pretty essential stuff it's 27p per kWh.

it seems bonkers to me that we are letting people drive EVs around, often on frivolous needless journeys (see the yummy mummy crowd at my kids school all in their EVs trying to keep up with each other while driving half a mile to school) using elecrric at 5p per Kwh while we have people struggling with bills for power for essentials paying five times that to cook and heat .

Time to tax EV traction current?.... but some sort of pay per mile sounds simpler.

And before I sound Anti EV... I'd have one tomorrow, it's just the sums don't add up... yet.




anyway surely I'm due a rebate on my VEL?

Wait 'till you hear about BiK on luxury EVs. It'll blow your mind.

 

[Alex321]

*mounts hobby horse*

I have a bike and a car, I choose to cycle most places and the car gets used about 3 days a month.

if I didn't have a bike I would use the car more. I ride about 8'000 miles a year.

VED, not sure where you are getting the "L" from

Despite using the car 3 days a month I pay as much VEL, formerly road fund licence, as someone who uses it daily.

Now my bike is much smaller, it needs less road, it's much lighter so the "road it needs" can be constructed more lightly and cheaply, it is considerably lighter so the road it uses needs less maintaining and repairing.

Now my bike is exempt from VEL but the 1500kg car costs £35 a year by virtue of when it was made being seen as a "green diesel".

I would happily pay VEL on the bike on a proportionate scale, but it's probably not worth collecting.

... here is were I get all ideological. VEL in it's current form has suffered mission creep. It's somehow used as a tool to encourage people to buy when is seen as environmentally good cars, but it's blunt tool.

The taxation of motor vehicles needs a top down change, IMHO pay per mile is the only sensible and fair option, but I'd go further and add in a multiplier for vehicle weight, or some sort of damage / wear to roads caused scoring. You'd then encourage manufactures to produce lighter and more efficient vehicles that are kinder to the roads.

Historically it has been argued fuel duty is effectively a pay per mile tax that has encouraged more efficient use of fuel.

EVs are the big disruptor. They have until recently been zero rated for VEL. They are heavier and their torque delivery means they have been known to eat tyres as people take advantage the torque both things for me also equal extra road wear and damage.

THey will be subject to VED going forward.

My other big bugbear with EVs is that the "fuel" isnt taxed. Not only is it not taxed but it's cheaper or even subsidised. It seems bonkers to me that you can charge an EV at 5p per kwh, or even for free at times with some tarifs, but yet to cook my food, run the fridge or heat my home, pretty essential stuff it's 27p per kWh.

That is only because electricity is cheap at night, so the suppliers want to encourage you to use tariffs which match that.

And of course, the government wants to encourage take up of EVs over petrol/diesel, to meet their "green" targets.

 

[Drago]

Their official position is "We don't give a sh!t, so just fùck off"

I paraphrase, but only a little

Ask them why they're paying Keir's (the company, not the other twit) shareholders if cash is so tight? They harrumph and cough a lot when I ask but never trot out a straight answer.