Cyclists could be hit with Road Tax!

[Stavro]

They certainly should. The use the highway same as cars and hold up traffic even more as you often cannot get past them do to their speed.

Cyclists are entitled to use the public highway, as horse-riders and pedestrians are (in the absence of a pavement).

You motorists have to slow down and pass them safely - as you do when you meet a tractor, for instance. Unfortunately, too many car drivers are far too busy driving like idiots to be concerned with safety and courtesy.

[rainbow]

I cycle now and again and wish I had time to cycle more. When I go out in a group I prefer to ride two abreast for my own safety. If you are two abreast the car behind you has to stop and wait if a car is coming in the other direction. This way I feel safer. If you are in single file, some cars try to squeeze past even if a car is coming in the other direction- I hasten to add not all motorists do this - but there are some mindless idiots on the road that have nearly put me off my bike. I have been lucky so far - touch wood.
On bends the group I cycle in breaks up into single file, and I think we are extremely considerate of car users - despite what they think of us. All we are trying to do is have a healthier lifestyle and enjoy the fresh air.
I ask car users would they squeeze past a horse or slow tractor if a car was coming the other way, just so they can reach their destination 10 seconds faster - I think not.
And No I don't think cyclists should pay road tax - I thought this was paid to help maintain the roads - I don't think bikes do that much damage. I already pay car tax on two cars and will not be paying for my bike as well!

[joxville]

The reason a tax on cyclists has made the news is to make us all forget the real issues at hand. i.e. the war in Afghanistan, the credit crunch and rising unemployment, rising crime and fudging of statistics etc.

For goodness sake people get a grip, no Government will ever introduce a tax on cyclists.....as someone posted earlier the Government is pushing a zero emission transport policy and for everyone to reduce their carbon footprint, why tax people who follow that path?

[David Banks]

Good luck to them trying to implement this

Cant see many cyclists having a license plate stuck on their bike, civil servants must be getting desperate for ideas for making more money.
Can just picture a 4 year old on their pushbike getting pulled by the police and questioned

Exactly.

I would call them a 'muckle feel gowk' for the idea, but that would suggest they might be from Caithness - which is not possible. Their head must be stuck so far into . . . the sand, that they have lost all common sense.

[Green_not_greed]

.....as someone posted earlier the Government is pushing a zero emission transport policy and for everyone to reduce their carbon footprint, why tax people who follow that path?

Err... just how much have our electricity bills gone up to pay for renewable energy subsidies?

Another stealth tax by a government absolutely desperate for treasury funds to pay for a war no-one wants, crippling inefficiencies in public services, and more and more civil servants.

I really don't believe that they would really tax those who cycle, but they are absolutely desperate!

I hear that 10% cut in all government budgets plus a 3p income tax rise will be on the cards if labour win the next UK election. Which is next year sometime.

[maverick]

I do not feel that cyclists should pay road tax for using public roads, I think that would be very unjust to many cyclists. I do however feel that cyclists should have to pass some form of test before they should be allowed on public roads, solely because of the volumes of motor vehicles that are on the roads these days and that they should have to have at least third party insurance cover. There are some cyclists out there especially young children who take serious chances without realising what they are doing. I saw one young lad colide with a parked vehicle because his brakes didn't work and scratched several panels on the vehicle, damage was estimated to be in the region of approx £500, the young lady who owned the car found that there was little or nothing she could do to recover her loss. So I feel that all cyclists should be insured prior to using the public roads.

[bish667]

I do not feel that cyclists should pay road tax for using public roads, I think that would be very unjust to many cyclists. I do however feel that cyclists should have to pass some form of test before they should be allowed on public roads, solely because of the volumes of motor vehicles that are on the roads these days and that they should have to have at least third party insurance cover. There are some cyclists out there especially young children who take serious chances without realising what they are doing. I saw one young lad colide with a parked vehicle because his brakes didn't work and scratched several panels on the vehicle, damage was estimated to be in the region of approx £500, the young lady who owned the car found that there was little or nothing she could do to recover her loss. So I feel that all cyclists should be insured prior to using the public roads.

Insurance for young kids on bikes!!! That'll soon stop them using their bikes which is not the direction we should be pushing kids towards.
Their parents taking blame for any damage they cause would be a better idea.

[Gizmo]

Insurance for young kids on bikes!!! That'll soon stop them using their bikes which is not the direction we should be pushing kids towards.
Their parents taking blame for any damage they cause would be a better idea.

Exactly, it's a ridiculous idea, why not just go the whole hog and make everyone have 'Pedestrian Insurance', as you can be guaranteed that more damage is caused to vehicles by pedestrians than cyclists

[Kenneth]

Here's a link to the story for more info. Dunno if it's the same as Laguna2's read tho'

Personally I think it would be a ridiculous idea, worthy of an April 1st headline! Bikes cause minimal wear on roads, are a healthy alternative to cars (& should be promoted as such), and as is mentioned in the article, are carbon neutral so should be exempt.

hear hear!

[Kenneth]

Couldn't agree more with them having to pay some form of road tax, they are a nightmare especially on single track roads.Seem to think they own the road and I am surprised there are not more accidents involving them Have noticed a high number dont wear helmets and I thought this was compulsory now

Its not!

And I have to say, having only been cycling again for a few months, I've not had that many problems with drivers other than when they overtake they leave just enough room to slot a piece of paper in

[Kenneth]

They certainly should. The use the highway same as cars and hold up traffic even more as you often cannot get past them do to their speed.

oh diddums, they're not any worse than caravans, now they should be taxed!!

[Mrs Bucket]

Insurance for young kids on bikes!!! That'll soon stop them using their bikes which is not the direction we should be pushing kids towards.
Their parents taking blame for any damage they cause would be a better idea.

At least if they insured people would not be out of pocket. Usually the kids who hove no brakes have problem parents who wouldnt pay

[bish667]

At least if they insured people would not be out of pocket. Usually the kids who hove no brakes have problem parents who wouldnt pay

And you think parents who arent paying to fix their brakes or get them a working bike is going to be concerned about taking out insurance.
I honestly cant see how pushbike insurance would work anyway, its not like its the kid who would have the insurance policy it would be the parents.
I do see your point though but bike specific insurance for kids is just not goin to work.

[Gizmo]

At least if they insured people would not be out of pocket. Usually the kids who hove no brakes have problem parents who wouldnt pay

They also have parents who wouldn't be able to afford the insurance premium, so at the end of the day all it does is penalise the kids. Just accept it as a risk that you have to deal with, just like you have to with pedestrians.

[bish667]

Here we are complaining about whether kids should have insurance on their £50 bikes and the government lets the bad crime go with very little punishment.

[Mrs Bucket]

Surely cycle lanes would solve all the problems so tax cyclists to help pay for them

[Gizmo]

Surely cycle lanes would solve all the problems so tax cyclists to help pay for them

Do people around here actually sit and think their ridiculous ideas through before posting?

[bish667]

Do people around here actually sit and think their ridiculous ideas through before posting?

Gizmo you got in there first.

would cycle lanes help fix the problem with kids having no brakes and hitting 'parked' cars, em.... no, kids arent goin to use cycle lanes as most dont use roads for travelling from A to B and getting in the way of traffic,kids just cycle around randomly messing around with their mates
Its not as simple as just putting a cycle lane on a road cos they either have to widen the road which is not possible on most roads or divide the existing road into 2 which is then going to make car drivers unhappy about anyway. Either way there isnt an adequate amount of cyclists in Thurso to warrant a cycle lane.

[BRIE]

I don't own a car anymore, so i cycle everywhere i go these days, but i spent 15yrs driving round Caithness/Sutherland as a delivery man, and i've seen every kind of idiotic driving imaginable, at least 80% of you have not got a clue what you are doing on the road and should be made to re-sit your driving test every 10 years, and some of you should never have been given a license in the first place.
I've seen quite a few accidents happen over the years, and not once have i ever seen a cyclist be the cause of one, it's ALWAYS a complete lack of attention on behalf of the motorist that has been to blame, you may not be the biggest fan of cyclists, but to me...you sound like the worst kind of motorist out there.

why do I sound like the worst motorist??
Yes I expressed my opinion, I didnt say I hate cyclist so much I run them all off the road whenever I see them!
I am an extremely careful driver & always give cyclists as much room as a car, why? because there unpredictable! you never know when they will vear across the road, hit a bump in the road & fall off etc & I personally dont want one of you under my wheels.
so the reason Im not a fan of cyclists is because you all scare me senseless!!
I like to feel safe when im on the road & no you would NEVER get me on a bike on a busy road because I have witnessed how the majority of drivers do react to cyclists on the road & I do not have a death wish!!
So Gizmo & the rest of the ones that agreed with you please dont make assumptions on my driving abilities just because im not a cycling fan.

[upolian]

I give those drivers the finger of approval.

likewise,i get beeped at for no reason what so ever,alot of people i know think cyclists are a pain....why?cant be bothered to use the brain space to over take