Should cyclists pay road tax?

[poohtiggy]

This has been talked about over the years just wondered what you thought.
Driving out of town today, I had two cyclists ahead of me, cutting in and out of traffic but otherwise behaving themselves. I pulled up at traffic lights...they were not as quick and one of them ran into my car, though only causing a minor scratch it made me think. If I had bumped one of the riders they could have made an insurance claim against me for goodness knows what but because they are uninsured cyclists...even had the damage been worse I would have no claim either for the car or myself, I would still be the one paying out, is this fair or should they have insurance by law​

 

[chris lowe]

I think there should some kind of insurance so that when they cause an accident the motorist isn't left footing the bill but don't know how it would be enforced. Same for thos mobility scooters - number of times I've been caught on the back of the heel on one of those in the supermarket, and they don't ever apologise. Also it's about time there was some sort of enforcement about riding n pavements and not having lights. You can be sure that if you hit a cyclist on a dark road and theyve got no lights and wearing dark clothes it's your fault!

 

[Janiept]

Definitely the ones that speed along the pavement and make me jump out onto the (main) road to avoid being run over by them should

 

[Mike d]

Yes they should .... one of these clowns killed an elderly pedestrian down here (VIC, Australia) last year. We can't stand them. They need to be licenced.

Cannot believe they're so arrogant thinking THEY own the road and pay NOTHING for the privelege. I block them EVERY chance I get. In fact a few years back one of them nearly wiped me out when I was boarding a tram in the city and gave me an aggressive disgusting mouthful for getting in his way despite the fact they have to give way to EVERY vehicle and pedestrian

I saw him one day later in a city department store .... and he saw me ..... we had "words" and then he saw stars.

 

[rowan]

Yes, all road users should. Why should they be exempt?

 

[Doriand]

Yes they should .... one of these clowns killed an elderly pedestrian down here (VIC, Australia) last year. We can't stand them. They need to be licenced.

Cannot believe they're so arrogant thinking THEY own the road and pay NOTHING for the privelege. I block them EVERY chance I get. In fact a few years back one of them nearly wiped me out when I was boarding a tram in the city and gave me an aggressive disgusting mouthful for getting in his way despite the fact they have to give way to EVERY vehicle and pedestrian

I saw him one day later in a city department store .... and he saw me ..... we had "words" and then he saw stars.

Those bicycle couriers are the worse! I've seen them in the middle of two trams going the opposite direction! And yes, they ARE arrogant and think they own the road, forgetting the laws of physics, they get hit by a bigger vehicle, cyclist gets hurt - driver of vehicle doesn't.........

 

[JTL]

Bicycles .... Victorian contraptions ... should be banned from roads where the speed limit is over 30mph.

 

[catherinecherub]

There are careful and careless cyclists and there are careful and careless drivers on the roads.
Should cyclist pay to use the roads? Depends on how much they are expected to pay as there are plenty of schoolchildren who use cycles and for a family this could work out to be expensive. Three children and mum and dad, who use cycles for short journeys but there is also a family car, how much would you expect them to pay?

 

[Scandichic]

Yes, all road users should. Why should they be exempt?

Probably because they don't do any damage to the road!

 

[Mike d]

Probably because they don't do any damage to the road!

Yes, but we here (car drivers) pay for lanes to be coloured partitioned and divided to accommodate them Scandichic and reduce what was two lane traffic to a crawl They don't pay for that, we do.

 

[Scandichic]

Yes they should .... one of these clowns killed an elderly pedestrian down here (VIC, Australia) last year. We can't stand them. They need to be licenced.

Cannot believe they're so arrogant thinking THEY own the road and pay NOTHING for the privelege. I block them EVERY chance I get. In fact a few years back one of them nearly wiped me out when I was boarding a tram in the city and gave me an aggressive disgusting mouthful for getting in his way despite the fact they have to give way to EVERY vehicle and pedestrian

I saw him one day later in a city department store .... and he saw me ..... we had "words" and then he saw stars.

Far more people are killed by cars and other vehicles every day, month, year. Of course there are bad cyclists out there. But there are also bad drivers with the potential to cause far more injuries and deaths. I have at times seen some abysmal cyclists but poor drivers who don't follow the Highway Code on pretty much every journey. And they are far more aggressive than the cyclists.

 

[tim2000s]

As a cyclist, pedestrian and driver, I pay Vehicle Excise Duty on my car. Since road tax doesn't exist in this country, I see little point in charging cyclists a couple of quid in tax for not creating emissions and not damaging the road.

However, there ought to be some level of cycling proficiency and registration scheme for adult cyclists and those who are guiding kids, as there are an awful lot of very bad cyclists out there.

Cyclists who cycle without lights should exempt drivers from any responsibility in unlit areas if they are hit. If you don't have lights, I can't see you until it is way too late. It's very simple. Likewise, riding on pavements, going through red lights, etc, should all receive proper penalties (and around London, there has been a lot of work to enforce the rules).

As a pedestrian I personally abuse cyclists who go through redlights on pedestrian crossings or who zoom across zebras with people crossing. It really gets my goat and they deserve all the **** you give them.

As a driver, I hoot at cyclists who pull out/overtake/change lane without looking behind them. They are asking to be killed.

As a cyclist, I ride defensively. There are enough mad drivers out there looking to kill me that I won't give them an excuse to try.

 

[Robinredbreast]

I haven't cycled since last year, July, I miss it. so much Just journeys to my dad's, out and about. But I am one of those pavement, or very small road users, it terrifies me on the open road. But I am always considerate to pedestrians, taking a wide berth, dinging my bell, or just stopping to let someone pass. A lady I know a little had a go at me once on a summers day whilst cycling on the pavement, saying I shouldn't be cycling on the pavement and cyclist are a menace, so she was tarring me, (someone she speaks too and knows), with the same brush. But then again there are many cyclist who, through death or a serious accident on the roads cannot give a comment any more, it would seem it works both ways. Whether on two wheels or four wheels, some road users should just not be allowed on the roads.
On the countryside route there are often a few cyclists and the bus just has to keep a distance behind them because most times the bus cant overtake because of all the bends in the road. Cyclist who do not care what is around the corner, speeding along and have no bell to alert pedestrians makes my blood boil. A cycle license would be a good idea, take a small safety course if using the main roads, also a family one too which could include the children, say under 14's and the parents are responsible for the children's road sense, maintenance of bikes and safety on the ' license'. It could be an answer ?
I do miss the breeze in my face and hair and the warm sun on my face

RRB stay safe guys

 

[Scandichic]

Yes, but we here (car drivers) pay for lanes to be coloured partitioned and divided to accommodate them Scandichic and reduce what was two lane traffic to a crawl They don't pay for that, we do.

Contrary to popular belief, it isn't a road tax, it's a vehicle emissions tax and cyclists do not produce any emissions. Many cyclists are drivers so pay tax anyway and congestion would be far worse if all of those cyclists were to start using cars. Money for roads does not come from vehicle emissions tax. It comes from the general tax pot of money in the UK as everyone benefits from infrastructure.
Mr Scandi is a cyclist. He does not drive (apart from me around the twist on occasion) but he has had people throw things at him as they go by (McDonald's milkshake being the worst) and hurl verbal abuse. (Not funny when you have the 9 year old with you).

 

[Mike d]

Far more people are killed by cars and other vehicles every day, month, year. Of course there are bad cyclists out there. But there are also bad drivers with the potential to cause far more injuries and deaths. I have at times seen some abysmal cyclists but poor drivers who don't follow the Highway Code on pretty much every journey. And they are far more aggressive than the cyclists.

Agreed SC but we're talking about taxes and their non existent contributions to upgrading roads, not accidents.

If you ride a bike, you should pay, not bludge on an infrastructure to which you may not have paid a cent.

Mike

 

[Mike d]

Contrary to popular belief, it isn't a road tax, it's a vehicle emissions tax and cyclists do not produce any emissions. Many cyclists are drivers so pay tax anyway and congestion would be far worse if all of those cyclists were to start using cars. Money for roads does not come from vehicle emissions tax. It comes from the general tax pot of money in the UK as everyone benefits from infrastructure.
Mr Scandi is a cyclist. He does not drive (apart from me around the twist on occasion) but he has had people throw things at him as they go by (McDonald's milkshake being the worst) and hurl verbal abuse. (Not funny when you have the 9 year old with you).

OK ... different rules down here (no emission tax ) and totally different opinions

No wuz

Mike

 

[Scandichic]

Agreed SC but we're talking about taxes and their non existent contributions to upgrading roads, not accidents.

If you ride a bike, you should pay, not bludge on an infrastructure to which you may not have paid a cent.

Mike

But they do pay. Money for infrastructure comes from General tax.

 

[Wurst]

From a cyclists perspective , we don't damage the road or create any pollution so why pay? In the UK you have a cycle to work scheme so you are very lucky getting a bike paid for.

On my commute to work and back I am now finding more and more drivers just pulling out (when I have right of way) and expect me to stop. I even got hit a few weeks ago, managed to stay on my bike the offender sped off. Unfortunately for him I caught him at the traffic lights around the corner I've never seen anyone **** themselves so much

 

[Scandichic]

OK ... different rules down here (no emission tax ) and totally different opinions

No wuz

Mike

I understand why you would be (justifiably) angry about the idiot who nearly ran you over or killed the OAP. My point is that there are far more idiots in cars.

 

[Mike d]

But they do pay. Money for infrastructure comes from General tax.

So why can't it be targeted by way of licence SC? User pays .... I know I sure do and I support loafers who do nothing