Tax, MOT & Insurance

[PBancroft]

I wavered on insurance only, but ultimately went for No. I am insured through CTC but since it is drivers that add all of the danger to the situation I don't see why it should be mandatory for all cyclists - but it should nevertheless be an option.

As for the "road tax" argument, I give you a blatant plug to my blog post.

 

[Chrisc]

VED is Vehicle Emission Duty - with the emphasis being on the word emission. Bikes are about as close as you can get to zero emission (unless you fart), ergo there are no grounds on which to charge VED!

MOT? Not really necessary - looking after your bike isn't that hard!

Insurance? A good idea, but it shouldn't be compulsory. There are plenty of things that we all do that are dangerous, perhaps more dangerous than cycling in some cases. For example, if it is compulsory for me to be insured on my bicycle, surely I should also be insured before I'm allowed to pick up a hedge trimmer? Or a motor mower? Or operate a gas hob to cook diner? Or cross a busy road on foot?!

ahem... Vehicle Excise Duty

Insurance..my house policy gives me public liability up to £10m and when I checked, it does cover me if I hit a car.

Road tax and MOT? Nope.

 

[feckless]

I voted yes for tax and insurance, if only on the grounds that it would put an end to the age-old motorists' whinge that we don't pay tax so shouldn't be allowed on the roads.

I'd be happy to pay to shut the Daily Mail readers up.

f

 

[4F]

No of course we shouldn't, what a load of cobblers and for the 100'th time it is an emission tax not "road tax"

What about horses ? As they also use the road by your theory should they also have a valid MOT and emission based tax ?

 

[gavintc]

Absolutely NO. We need to encourage cycling not place another barrier in the way of those that want to get on a bike. The only possible reason for wanting a tax, is to stop the jealousy comments. Insurance - maybe (I could be convinced on this one). MoT - no benefit whatsoever as bike safety is not an annual issue, but a continual need.

 

[swee'pea99]

What about horses ? As they also use the road by your theory should they also have a valid MOT and emission based tax ?

Yeah - and horses fart a *lot* more than cyclists. Well, most cyclists.

 

[wafflycat]

And just in case the OP hasn't yet got it..

Even motorists don't pay road tax as

THERE'S NO 'ROAD TAX'
'ROAD TAX' DOES NOT EXIST
REALLY. HONEST.​

Got it now? ​

 

[Paulus]

Maggot, I think you got a little lost with your last post. Road tax does not exist, roads are funded from all taxes that are collected by the Inland revenue. There is no pot that is earmarked for the roads.

 

[brokenbetty]

I think the best way to think about it that the government taxes car use like it taxes alcohol - because it can.

 

[Will1985]

There is no way in hell I'm going to pay any sort of tax for my 6 bikes (and no doubt rising).

Furthermore, why should I pay someone do an "MOT" on my bike when I'm quite proficient at servicing my bikes?

I already have insurance for my bikes plus liability through BC - this is the only sensible part of the OP's post, although it wouldn't be as necessary if cyclists obeyed the rules of the road a bit more.

 

[Paulus]

If MOT's for bikes was ever pushed through, would there be enough bike shops, with enough qualified staff to do MOT's? Many bike shops neither have the space or the staff for the amount of bikes they would have to see. The testers would have to go on an accredited training scheme, be assessed and retested every year. Surely a government job creation scheme.

 

[gavintc]

I'd be happy for some sort of MOT to be introduced, would encourage maintenance and for people not to ride on a bag of shoot with no brakes.

MoT on 1 Jun, brakes unhooked on 2 Jun - result?

why do people want more regulation of our lives. It is a bike for god's sake not a complex piece of machinery.

 

[TheDoctor]

Reality check here, people. It's unenforceable with cars. Why would it work with bikes?

 

[Headgardener]

VED is Vehicle Emission Duty - with the emphasis being on the word emission. Bikes are about as close as you can get to zero emission (unless you fart), ergo there are no grounds on which to charge VED!

MOT? Not really necessary - looking after your bike isn't that hard!

Insurance? A good idea, but it shouldn't be compulsory. There are plenty of things that we all do that are dangerous, perhaps more dangerous than cycling in some cases. For example, if it is compulsory for me to be insured on my bicycle, surely I should also be insured before I'm allowed to pick up a hedge trimmer? Or a motor mower? Or operate a gas hob to cook diner? Or cross a busy road on foot?!

I think I should pay some sort of duty then.

 

[classic33]

ahem... Vehicle Excise Duty

Emission based Vehicle Excise Duty.
This is based mainly on CO2 emissions. Not methane.