tax insurance & cycling

[Simontm]

On my route in I once saw some bloke shouting at this cyclist to get back in the cycle lane to which the cyclist replied:in that case, why don't you eff off to the motorway

 

[steveindenmark]

You should all move to Denmark where you dont get any of that nonesense aimed at you

 

[Noru]

What a load of non-sense, had a petition suggesting cyclists must be taxed & insured appear twice on my Facebook this morning.

Most of the comments on said peoples facebook shares of the petition seem to want cyclists banished from the roads.

2011 stats report 741,000 people cycle to work in the UK. DfT reckons 80% of cyclists have a driving license. So if 80% of those cyclist ditched their bikes for cars that's potentially another 592,800 cars clogging up city & town centres. They should be careful what they wish for.

Also pointing out that if I couldn't cycle I would use my motorbike to filter past or be sat in a car ahead causing more traffic in front of them is met with similar scorn. Can't please some car nuts.

As for no 'road tax', many low emission cars don't pay it and even if we were to ignore that then 125cc motorcycles only pay a bank breaking £17 a year. So any contribution from a non-sense 'cycle tax' would be minimal if judged on a similar scale and very likely cost more to collect & police than it would earn in tax revenue.

 

[Profpointy]

On the road tax thing, how much extra tax is fair for leaving my car at home and cycling instead. So, the less I use my car the more tax I should pay.

Mind you my 5 year old nephew doesn't have a car so he'd presumably have to pay full whack to ride his bike.

 

[Ajax Bay]

You should all move to Denmark

Expensive, Denmark! As Noel Coward didn't say (sfaik).

 

[winjim]

What a load of non-sense, had a petition suggesting cyclists must be taxed & insured appear twice on my Facebook this morning.

Most of the comments on said peoples facebook shares of the petition seem to want cyclists banished from the roads.

2011 stats report 741,000 people cycle to work in the UK. DfT reckons 80% of cyclists have a driving license. So if 80% of those cyclist ditched their bikes for cars that's potentially another 592,800 cars clogging up city & town centres. They should be careful what they wish for.

Also pointing out that if I couldn't cycle I would use my motorbike to filter past or be sat in a car ahead causing more traffic in front of them is met with similar scorn. Can't please some car nuts.

As for no 'road tax', many low emission cars don't pay it and even if we were to ignore that then 125cc motorcycles only pay a bank breaking £17 a year. So any contribution from a non-sense 'cycle tax' would be minimal if judged on a similar scale and very likely cost more to collect & police than it would earn in tax revenue.

That's why some cyclists are signing the petition. To attempt to get road tax for cyclists implemented and show it up for the farce it would inevitably be.

 

[Noru]

Exactly ProfPointy we could get a deduction on our 'road tax' for reducing traffic & emissions by not needlessly using our motor vehicles & cycling instead.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Print this off and shove it under their noses. That's if they can actually read.

The West Midlands Police Traffic Unit advises -
"DRIVERS DO NOT LET YOUR PREJUDICE GET IN THE WAY OF THE TRUE FACTS"
Owen McDermott's statement is full of inaccuracies and falsehoods but it does represent the received wisdom of a large section of the public. All national cycling organisations and pressure groups should hasten to rebuff this dangerous propaganda. It should be kept simple but here are the true facts in detail:

1) "The public roads built for motor vehicles are becoming unsafe to use due to one particular community that feel they are eligible to drive on public UK roads"
TRUTH -
The public roads were built for cyclists!
They were the result of campaigning by the cycling organisations for metalled surfaces long before the existence of the motor car.
In law cycles are classified as vehicles and have every right to use the public highway.
Cyclists are the vulnerable users of the road not cars.

2). "Not only that these cyclists posses no insurance for their chosen 2 wheeled non mechanical death trap, neither do they pay road tax"
TRUTH -
Although there is no compulsion to be
insured the vast majority of cyclists are, either through their membership of a cycling organisation or through separate cover.
The road tax was abolished in 1937 and replaced by Vehicle Excise Duty. This is a tax on cars, not roads, and it goes straight into the general Treasury fund. The upkeep of the roads is paid from rates and general taxation. (Cycles don't wear out roads). It is unlawful for a Driver to be uninsured although it is estimated that 37,000 cars on the road are uninsured.

3) "Just like having to sit your theory and your practical test to obtain a driving license, Cyclists should havemf to do the same. What training have they had to use the road?".
TRUTH -
80% of cyclists hold a driving licence!!!
Drivers have to be tested because they are in charge of a potentially lethal weapon. West Midland Police say that 98% of cyclists killed or seriously injured on the involved at least one other vehicle. In 84% these cases most common vehicle to be involved was a car.

4). "Im not sure on the percentage of how many cyclists die every year due to cycling on the road but if you stick them back on the paths in a cycle lane I'm sure a lot more people will survive".
TRUTH -
In 2015, 100 cyclists were killed on the roads and 3,239 seriously injured. Which is why we are campaigning for safe segregated cycling infrastructure. Cycle paths are few and far between and were do exist they are badly designed and poorly maintained.
CONCLUSION
The whole assumption in McDermott's Statement is that Cyclists are responsible for the Collisions on the road. Maybe we get in his way so get run over! My retort to that is " Do you want all the road or just the bit I'm cycling on "

I had that thing on my facebook page this morning, the west midlands police statement has now been added to my page and added to the comments on the original post.

 

[marknotgeorge]

To add to the earlier advice, I suggest you point these people to http://cyclingfallacies.com/en/ and get on with enjoying your day while they frown at their pc screens.

I saw a Porsche Cayenne towing a horsebox this morning. Talk about demolishing your brand image...

Some motorists are so far up their own ars oles they are unbelievable.At the moment Stonegate Road here in Meanwood is undergoing a resurfacing.It has already taken longer than planned.But yesterday i walked to the local Library,on that journey i saw not one or two but FIVE road closed signs.Many motorists ignored said signs and drove down,till they were met with bollards,plastic orange fencing and a truck across the highway.I did have a little chuckle as they came past me trying to find another route,which was offered by signage

The A38 near me was closed at night at Markeaton Island recently to replace the armco barriers. Diversion signs were put up at the two previous junctions, which I could ignore as I live near Markeaton and my car is under the weight restriction, so I ould go a different way home. But every time I went that way when it was closed, there was an HGV that passed both diversions, got to Markeaton and had to go right round the roundabout and back to Kingsway...

 

[vickster]

I will look at British Cycling I may just get the "Ride" membership for the liability the discounts will be nice as well.

I can't see liability on my house hold policy but I have dropped them an email to question this.

Or LCC. Used to be under a tenner for just 3rd party. That said the BC Halfords discount can quickly add up to cover the membership

 

[vickster]

You should all move to Denmark where you dont get any of that nonesense aimed at you

Yeah but you have all that foul white crap in the winter I'd rather deal with the occasional moton than snow!!

 

[User269]

What is it that people still don't understand about the fact that there is no such thing as road tax?
And yet the discussion goes on..............and on................

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

What is it that people still don't understand about the fact that there is no such thing as road tax?
And yet the discussion goes on..............and on................

Not helped by referring to VED as road tax to begin with

 

[Jody]

We had exactly the same "debate" this morning, culminating in one of the regular cyclists at work saying helmets should be compulsory. It was all going well until the helmet issue came up.

See here - https://www.change.org/p/theresa-ma...rance-and-pay-road-tax-to-use-public-uk-roads

It was only on 3,500 last night so the numbers are gathering.

 

[Jody]

On the road tax thing, how much extra tax is fair for leaving my car at home and cycling instead. So, the less I use my car the more tax I should pay.

Chris Boardman reckons is should be a £250 tax incentive to commute on a bicycle

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/british-cycling-lobbies-250-cycling-tax-break-298705