Jump to content

Recommended Posts

holocene Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

1. Road tax hasn't existed since 1937.

>

> 2. If the cyclist is a taxpayer, they contribute

> to upkeep of roads for all users.


Between 1920 and 1936 the vehicle licence (tax disc) was officially known as the "Road Fund Licence",

a term which is still in common use today.


Doesn't Matter what you call it.


DulwichFox

Road tax became Vehicle Excise Duty. This is based on C02 emission and would put bikes in the same classification as electric vehicles, which are currently exempt from VED. Asking cyclists to pay "road tax" for road surface upkeep which they are already paying for through income tax is lazy anti-cyclist rhetoric.

I've cycled for over a decade and acquired a car to avoid using public transport during lockdown. I still use my bike and two feet more for short journeys.


The bikes weigh under 10kg - with me & panniers on it, they're stil under 100kg. My car, even with just me in it, is over 10x heavier. The car has grandfathered ?0 VED and the bikes, obviously, have none. Luckily for the roads, I still have a job so am paying tax.


I suspect the tonne of car does far more damage to the roads than the 100kg of bike. Any bike licensing scheme would probably cost more to set up than it brought in - it's a lot harder to find somewhere to mount a reg plate on a bike and RFID isn't there yet. At its simplest, a tax at purchase point might be easiest - but still can't see it being particularly worthwhile in revenue.

Oh good a comedy thread, I need some light relief after all that whinging about LTNs. Some good posts correcting various urban myths. Fortunately there is common sense in government and who are not going to explore that nonsense of licensing push bikes. I too pay my taxes, and I am insured when I am on my bike. Well unless Priti Patel moves to Transport or the Treasury.... [my apologies, the subject of the thread is sensible, just some of the posts comedy]


On a wider issue Vehicle Excise Duty is a complete dog's dinner; when last changed and moved away from carbon emissions (after the first year). Only zero emission vehicles are ?0.


Powered two wheelers - electric scooters and twist and go electric bikes are classed as these - but are neither pavement or road legal. There's a good debate as the genie is well out of the bottle. Unlike push bikes these should be licensed and insured.

Bus lanes are segregated from much of the traffic so they can be used by cyclists. The quiet routes on back roads are chosen for their relative lack of traffic so they don?t need to be painted. If you?ve got functioning lights, a bell and reflective clothing that will help maintain safety (though so many cyclists dispense with one or more of those, unfortunately).

Hi Foxy,

Sadly, it seems that a lot of car drivers also don't need steering wheels as they drive along looking at 'their frigging mobile phones'.


Of course no-one should be using a mobile phone at all when driving or cycling, but it's the car drivers who use their phones that worry me - a tonne of metal moving at 20-30MPH is going to cause a lot of damage when it hits something/someone.


As a cyclist and occasional driver, I would welcome segregated lanes. I've been knocked off my bike from people opening their car doors on to me and also have been over the top of a car when it turned right across my path before.


Hopefully all of the car tax I pay can be used to pay for them :-)

SE22_2020er Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hi Foxy,

> Sadly, it seems that a lot of car drivers also

> don't need steering wheels as they drive along

> looking at 'their frigging mobile phones'.

>


Drivers who get caught are Heavily Fined and get points on their Licence (quite rightly)


Cyclists can do what they like.. Use their Mobiles.. Ride on the Pavement endangering Pedestrians..

Ride the wrong way up one_Way streets...


No fines for them..


Foxy

Foxy,

Not sure that I agree with your comments - over the last 30 years of cycling, I've been fined as a cyclist on 2 occasions (admittedly I've also had points on my license twice as well!)


As with everything in life, you get a wide range of people. Excellent and terrible car drivers, excellent and terrible cyclists. Not sure putting every category in a single amorphous bucket is really that helpful. I hope that if we met you'd think me as being a very responsible cyclist as I'm sure I'd find you a most well mannered, proficient driver :-).


Happy Easter!

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Drivers who get caught are Heavily Fined and get

> points on their Licence (quite rightly)


Except there is almost zero enforcement which is why I see drivers on their phones almost every time I?m out. Even when a woman almost ran me over on zebra crossing the police screwed up the paperwork so she got away scot free. I?d make driving holding a mobile phone an automatic 12-month ban and ?1000 fine, balance the low likelihood of being caught with serious consequences if you are.

You can suggest locations for cycle lanes or pavements etc. or upvote an existing idea with Widen My Path. It identifies where changes are needed, demonstrate support for them as part of their advocacy work, and for Local Authorities to action them.


https://www.widenmypath.com/

Cyclists worried about drivers on mobile phones can take pictures, upload these, and send to the Met. Rather an extreme measure, but one of my colleagues was really into it, and even went to court as a witness once (successful prosecution). Upstairs on a double decker affords you a better view! The colleague said that many are actually looking at the internet, rather than a voice call or texting, and that included Tinder. But that made it difficult to get a picture, as they didn't have the phone to their ear, ie doing it on their lap (even more worrying if on Tinder), to make it less obvious, and due to glare and poorer contrast/definition images may not be clear. Shopping drivers to the police was so successful that the Met changed the system making it more difficult to download the pictures. Perhaps.


That said I don't see that many on their phones - maybe the message has got across. Usually you can tell, road positioning is not good, often not signalling, so you are already prepared to take evasive action. And then when you overtake, eg at a junction, guess what, they are on their phone. Some silly ones are even in business vehicles with branding, including once the Royal Mail (I did get a picture of that). If I was on one of the other threads I'd talk about entitled motorists that think they can drive how, when, why, what and where. Nephew got away without a ban hitting 12 points, 6 for driving hands on mobile. My sister said, well of course everyone does it now an then. My view was that the van should have gone into a crusher and cubed. OK maybe an extreme measure but then some need that level of deterrent.


Oh dear, sadly this has gone off thread, as most do when we try to have a chat about a cycling issue, as clearly we are all lycra warriors happy to break the law and harass pedestrians. I'm being facetious.

first mate Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Cyclists, unless they are mountain bikers, do need

> reasonably well kept roads so it is not impossible

> that in time cyclists may also get taxed for road

> upkeep.



Never going to happen and impossible to enforce.

What would make us all safer would be some social pressure on those driving around in pseudo military vehicles / SUVs. Their bonnet height, general size and weight, and ability to mount pavements when out of control is ridiculous. They have no place in cities yet seem to becoming the go to vehicle for Dulwichites. We used to laugh at Americans for driving around in these things. How about quadrupling their VED?

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Per Cllr McAsh, as quoted above: “We are currently updating our Enforcement Policy and changes will allow for the issuing of civil penalties ranging from £175 to £300 for visible smoke emissions, replacing the previous reliance on criminal prosecution. " Is anyone au fait with the Clean Air Act 1993, and  particularly with the state of 'Smoke Control' law and practice generally?  I've just been looking  through some of it for the first time and, afaics, the civil penalties mentioned  were introduced into the Clean Air Act, at Schedule 1A, in May 2022.  So it seems that, in this particular,  it's a matter of the enforcement policy trailing well behind the legislation.  I'm not criticising that at all, but am curious.  
    • Here's the part of march46's linked-to Southwark News article pertaining to Southwark Council. "Southwark Council were also contacted for a response. "Councillor James McAsh, Cabinet Member for Clean Air, Streets & Waste said: “One of Southwark’s key priorities is to create a healthy environment for our residents. “To achieve this we closely monitor legislation and measures that influence air pollution – our entire borough apart from inland waterways is designated as a Smoke Control Area, and we also offer substantial provision for electric vehicles to promote alternative fuel travel options and our Streets for People strategy. “We as a council support the work of Mums for Lungs and recognise the health and environmental impacts of domestic solid fuel burning, particularly from wood-burning appliances. “We are currently updating our Enforcement Policy and changes will allow for the issuing of civil penalties ranging from £175 to £300 for visible smoke emissions, replacing the previous reliance on criminal prosecution.  “This work is being undertaken in collaboration with other London boroughs as part of the pan-London Wood Burning Project, which aims to harmonise enforcement approaches and share best practice across the capital.” ETA: And here's a post I made a few years ago, with tangential relevance.  https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/278140-early-morning-drone-flying/?do=findComment&comment=1493274  
    • The solicitor is also the Executor. Big mistake, but my Aunt was very old, and this was the Covid years and shortly after so impossible to intervene and get a couple of close relatives to do this.  She had no children so this is the nephews and nieces. He is a single practitioner, and most at his age would have long since retired - there is a question over his competence Two letters have already gone essentially complaining - batted off and 'amusingly' one put the blame on us. There are five on our side, all speaking to each other, and ideally would work as a single point of contact.  But he has said that this is not allowed - we've all given approval to act on each others behalf. There are five on her late husband's side, who have not engaged with us despite the suggestion to work as a team, There is one other, who get's the lion's share, the typicical 'friend', but we are long since challenging the will. I would like to put another complaint together that he has not used modern collective communication (I expect that he is incapable) which had seriously delayed the execution of the will.   I know many in their 80s very adept with smart phones so that is not an ageist comment. The house has deteriorated very badly, with cold, damp and a serious leak.  PM me if you want to see the dreadful condition that it is now in. I would also question why if the five of us are happy to work together why all of us need to confirm in writing.             The house was lived in until Feb 23, and has been allowed to get like this.
    • Isn’t a five yearly electricity safety certificate one of the things the landlord must give for a legal tenancy?
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...