I'm a cyclist.

[Droogs]

Do as the Swiss do and have a yearly tax sticker that you pay for that includes insurance. Then as bobbies walk around in pedestrian areas bikes they see without one get siezed and sold off at auction and the money raised goes to local charities. Just my tuppence worth.

 

[Jacob]

Do as the Swiss do and have a yearly tax sticker that you pay for that includes insurance. Then as bobbies walk around in pedestrian areas bikes they see without one get siezed and sold off at auction and the money raised goes to local charities. Just my tuppence worth.

News to me! Was phased out in 2012 apparently.
https://www.ch.ch/en/vehicles-and-traffic/cars-and-other-vehicles/cycling-in-switzerland/

 

[thetyreman]

in reality taxing cyclists is just going to make the gov and local councils even richer they can't be trusted to spend money sensibly, I would also just not pay it, even if it means prison, I don't care, our current gov are already right wing enough as it is, they can get stuffed.

 

[Droogs]

Well i last lived there in 2008 so was in place then. If everyone pays for the infrastructure they use then none can moan (with any justification) that x y or z is using the roads. The money raised can be ring fenced specifically for cycling infrastructure improvements. As to trusting your local council how about instead of standing as a deadend paperweight somewhere you wont get elected @Jacob stand somewhere you can and then have a positive impact on how things are done instead of being barracks room lawyer. But then of course if things go wrong it would be your fault.

You wouldn't go to gaol Jacob just have to watch someone else get your bike for peanuts or see it destroyed.

 

[Noel]

in reality taxing cyclists is just going to make the gov and local councils even richer they can't be trusted to spend money sensibly, I would also just not pay it, even if it means prison, I don't care, our current gov are already right wing enough as it is, they can get stuffed.

And will likely put many of people off cycling = more burden on the NHS.

 

[John Brown]

As has been mentioned many times before:
A. There is no such thing as road tax.
B. Even if there was, 80% of cyclists own cars. Probably a much higher percentage of the Lycra crowd, who seem to be the targets of so much ire.

 

[Jacob]

........ If everyone pays for the infrastructure they use then none can moan (with any justification) that x y or z is using the roads. ......

What, if they brought back toll roads everybody would be happy for ever more?
I wouldn't bet on it!

 

[Sporky McGuffin]

The money raised can be ring fenced specifically for cycling infrastructure improvements.

Is there actually a mechanism for ring fencing in UK monetary policy?

 

[TRITON]

News to me! Was phased out in 2012 apparently.

Well i last lived there in 2008 so was in place then.

I've spotted a flaw in your logic Droogs

 

[Jacob]

Is there actually a mechanism for ring fencing in UK monetary policy?

Yes no prob if govt decide they want to do it. Hypothecated tax - Wikipedia

 

[Jacob]

Gone very silly this thread!
I'm intrigued by the idea of Lons and Rafezetter doing a charge up the Gloucester Road on a Saturday night:

Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death

Pedestrians to right of them,
Cyclists to left of them,
Electric scooters and tricycles in front of them

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honour the charge they made!
and so on..

........

 

[Lons]

Gone very silly this thread!
I'm intrigued by the idea of Lons and Rafezetter doing a charge up the Gloucester Road on a Saturday night:

Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death

Pedestrians to right of them,
Cyclists to left of them,
Electric scooters and tricycles in front of them

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honour the charge they made!
and so on..

........

It must be well past your bedtime again Jacob, have you forgotten to take your meds again.

 

[John on the Wirral]

We are now at the stage were all road users must carry insurance. It is fine by me that cyclists claim their rights as road-users but accordingly they should also bear the responsibiltiy of being insured. If they feel they should be able to claim financially against a car driver then the car driver should an equal right to claim from them ie their insurance.. A young cyclist,riding a bike that was too big for her whilst struggling to get off/stop the bike ran down the side of my car her brake lever damaging four panels on my car for which I had to claim on my insurance to get repaired.. At the time, we didn't know what to do - we could have followed her home and suffered a string of abuse from her parents but my point is that I,as the car driver,had no means of claiming which is totally unfair to the motorist. If bikes to be recognised as road- users they should also have regisration numbers as well as insurance.

 

[paulrbarnard]

Just for the record here. My bike IS covered by a fully completed insurance policy. I suspect a lot of owners of expensive bikes also have it.

 

[Blackswanwood]

There is legislation on the way to introduce new penalties for cyclists who cause accidents. It’s a result of campaigning by the husband of a woman killed crossing the road who was hit by a cyclist on a road racing bike which had no brakes a few years ago.

https://road.cc/content/news/shapps-calls-death-dangerous-cycling-law-289835?amp

 

[Lons]

Just for the record here. My bike IS covered by a fully completed insurance policy. I suspect a lot of owners of expensive bikes also have it.

As is mine Paul but I recently had a conversation with my neighbour who rides a very expensive electric bike after which he checked his comprehensive policy which certainly covered any loss of damage to his bike but not liability to others in the event of an accident, he then checked his household policy and realised he had refused the option of personal liabilty cover so in fact it isn't fully comprehensive in reality, he was horrified and has since amended his house policy. My cover is the same as his btw and was classed as "comprehensive"

While we're at it I'd suggest bikes should have a simple MOT as though the vast majority of riders are careful enough to maintain their bikes for their own safety there appears to be also a sizeable number certainly in a couple of the towns not too far from here, who ride with machines that should be on the scrap heap mostly younger scruffs wearing dark hoodies and no lights at night so that's down to the current laws not being enforced by police.

 

[Southdownswolf]

Just for the record here. My bike IS covered by a fully completed insurance policy. I suspect a lot of owners of expensive bikes also have it.

My bikes aren't particularly expensive, so have never gone down the individual insurance route. However, being a member of British Cycling provides third party insurance cover and also legal support if needed. Theft is covered on my house insurance.
Would always recommend British Cycling membership to all riders, just for the legal cover alone.

 

[John Brown]

As is mine Paul but I recently had a conversation with my neighbour who rides a very expensive electric bike after which he checked his comprehensive policy which certainly covered any loss of damage to his bike but not liability to others in the event of an accident, he then checked his household policy and realised he had refused the option of personal liabilty cover so in fact it isn't fully comprehensive in reality, he was horrified and has since amended his house policy. My cover is the same as his btw and was classed as "comprehensive"

While we're at it I'd suggest bikes should have a simple MOT as though the vast majority of riders are careful enough to maintain their bikes for their own safety there appears to be also a sizeable number certainly in a couple of the towns not too far from here, who ride with machines that should be on the scrap heap mostly younger scruffs wearing dark hoodies and no lights at night so that's down to the current laws not being enforced by police.

My belief is that if we made insurance and an MOT compulsory for bikes, the only cyclists who'd comply would be the Lycra crowd, and possibly a few city commuters. The mudguard and basket folk would give up cycling completely, and the "scruffs" would carry on regardless. As for "road tax", since VED is loosely based on emissions, then maybe car owners who cycle, should receive a rebate for every mile cycled. I don't know how that would work, but then I don't really know how the insurance and MOT for bikes would work either. The police can't cope as it is.

 

[John Brown]

News to me! Was phased out in 2012 apparently.
https://www.ch.ch/en/vehicles-and-traffic/cars-and-other-vehicles/cycling-in-switzerland/

I wonder why they scrapped it? Maybe it turned out to be a daft and unworkable idea.

 

[IZZY]

Are there really £10K bikes - I'm sure there will be but why? how? who? wish I had a car worth that. I used to work for Aston Martin and I'm still shocked at the £10K bike - it's clearly my problem.

Not only that but they send their bikes into a dealer for a service. They are PUSH BIKES G*d help us .