Tax, MOT & Insurance

[dondare]

It could be more accurately explained to those who can't understand that it isn't a 'road tax' by calling it a motor vehicle tax?

How about "Air-poisoning licence fee"?

 

[gavintc]

It is worth considering that the Government's own web site Direct Gov refers to it as a Vehicle Tax and a driver must purchase a 'tax disc'. The Vehicle Excise Duty name, although technically correct is not a common term found on the Direct Gov site.

http://www.taxdisc.direct.gov.uk/Ev...work.internal.refresh&pageid=Common+Questions

 

[mark barker]

I get the feeling that for one reason or another that the majority of contributors to this thread are against the idea of paying a tax to use the road. Fair enough, but what if the disc was issued free as it is to certain other vehicles?

My biggest issue is at the moment we've got thousands of people riding around on the streets (quite often the busiest streets) and they are totally unaccountable. The riders are trusted to maintain their bikes, trusted to have insurance, trusted not be on a stolen bike! Surely a registration system would protect the cycling community just as much as everyone else?

 

[dondare]

I get the feeling that for one reason or another that the majority of contributors to this thread are against the idea of paying a tax to use the road. Fair enough, but what if the disc was issued free as it is to certain other vehicles?

My biggest issue is at the moment we've got thousands of people riding around on the streets (quite often the busiest streets) and they are totally unaccountable. The riders are trusted to maintain their bikes, trusted to have insurance, trusted not be on a stolen bike! Surely a registration system would protect the cycling community just as much as everyone else?

Why should anyone pay a tax to use the road?
Why should cycling be subject to any regulation at all?
Why impose paperwork and administration where there is no requirement for it?

 

[Davidc]

No.

I choose to have insurance. Keep it that way, but I might be persuadable.

Tax - zero emissions so VED would be zero. Administration and enforcement costs - millions. At a time when the government's trying to reduce its costs?

MOT - no need. The only person to suffer from a badly maintained bike is the rider.

The benefits of more cyclin, to the individuals who cycle, to society generally, and to the 'public purse' through better health and lower polution are huge. To discourage people from changing to it with any of these measures would be foolish.

 

[Davidc]

How about "Air-poisoning licence fee"?

or "Licence to Kill"?

 

[dondare]

or "Licence to Kill"?

Might give them the wrong idea.

 

[wafflycat]

I get the feeling that for one reason or another that the majority of contributors to this thread are against the idea of paying a tax to use the road. Fair enough, but what if the disc was issued free as it is to certain other vehicles?

But we already pay tax to use the road. What bit of 'roads are funded via general taxation' is so difficult to understand? Every taxpayer in the land already pays for the roads irrespective of what mode of transport they own and/or use.

 

[Davidc]

Might give them the wrong idea.

Nah - just reinforce the one they've got already.

They (drivers) go for peds more than cyclists anyway - softer and don't scratch the car as much.

Why should cycling be subject to any regulation at all?
Why impose paperwork and administration where there is no requirement for it?

Some regulation's fine. Stopping at red lights, not cycling on pavements and using lights after dark all seem sensible.

Agree with the second line - I can't see any need for paperwork for bikes, just needless, expensive and ineffecive bureaucracy if it ever came in.

 

[wafflycat]

I get the feeling that for one reason or another that the majority of contributors to this thread are against the idea of paying a tax to use the road. Fair enough, but what if the disc was issued free as it is to certain other vehicles?

My biggest issue is at the moment we've got thousands of people riding around on the streets (quite often the busiest streets) and they are totally unaccountable. The riders are trusted to maintain their bikes, trusted to have insurance, trusted not be on a stolen bike! Surely a registration system would protect the cycling community just as much as everyone else?

We've already got thousands of people *driving* around who are totally unaccountable. They are trusted to maintain their vehicles, have insurance and not be driving a stolen vehicle. Yet thousands break said rules on a daily basis and get away with it. Good, innit.

So much for a registration system protecting the community.

 

[Davidc]

My biggest issue is at the moment we've got thousands of people riding around on the streets (quite often the busiest streets) and they are totally unaccountable. The riders are trusted to maintain their bikes, trusted to have insurance, trusted not be on a stolen bike! Surely a registration system would protect the cycling community just as much as everyone else?

Since the only people affected if the bikes aren't maintained are the riders I don't see why that's a problem.

There are plenty of cars stolen despite registration. I suspect it would be even less effective for bikes. Eventually a voluntary RFI tagging scheme or similar in conjunction with other desirable goods and possibly cars would be more effective.

If uninsured cyclists ever became a problem I might be persuaded that compulsory insurance was acceptable. As things stand most people (adults and children alike) have third party insurance through household policies. For example mine's £2m on that, and I don't know what I get through CTC.

 

[swee'pea99]

The 'cycling community' does not need protection provided by the state. It's fine, thank you. As if they were short of ways to squander our hard-earned on fatuous bureacracy...

 

[PBancroft]

I get the feeling that for one reason or another that the majority of contributors to this thread are against the idea of paying a tax to use the road. Fair enough, but what if the disc was issued free as it is to certain other vehicles?

And how would this be funded at a time of budgetary constraint?

My biggest issue is at the moment we've got thousands of people riding around on the streets (quite often the busiest streets) and they are totally unaccountable. The riders are trusted to maintain their bikes, trusted to have insurance, trusted not be on a stolen bike! Surely a registration system would protect the cycling community just as much as everyone else?

As others have said, this is barely different to drivers being trusted to have insurance, trusted not to be driving stolen vehicles, trusted to have actually passed their test, and trusted not to kill 3000+ people a year.

The only difference is cyclists don't kill as many people by a very large margin. And they don't cause as much damage to the road network by a ridiculously large margin. And they don't pollute as much by a huuuuuuge margin.

What protection would a registration system give to "everyone else"?

 

[Fnaar]

Some countries seem to have registration plates on bikes... this is off the 'net, from Sweden (and I've seen them for real in Portugal too)

Not saying it's big or clever, but...

 

[swee'pea99]

Sweden, Switzerland, East Germany....'nuff said.