dont forget pedestrians as well, they might cause an accident..
we need to be insured to leave the house.. and have an id card on display..
Scottish cyclists to pay road tax
- Thread starter Old Wino
- Start date
dont forget pedestrians as well, they might cause an accident..
we need to be insured to leave the house.. and have an id card on display..
![[DOD]Asprilla](/styles/overclockers/avatars/8.png){kind=avatar}
Soldato
I'm insured for my bike. I think it's a good idea and I recommend all cyclists do it. Mind, if the number of threads in Motors (and there is a recent thread there that is almost exactly the same as this) about people damaging cars when parking and just driving off, I don't think that actually having insurance is going to make some people stop and use it; people are selfish morons and they are prone to error, be they in a car or on a bike.
As has been said, VED doesn't pay for road upkeep, council tax does. I pay a lot of council tax therefore I can take my bike on the road.
As for cyclepaths, they are an exercise in target hitting and are generally, poorly thought out, badly constructed and are not connected. Most are worse than useless and here are some examples for your ammusement:
As has been said, VED doesn't pay for road upkeep, council tax does. I pay a lot of council tax therefore I can take my bike on the road.
As for cyclepaths, they are an exercise in target hitting and are generally, poorly thought out, badly constructed and are not connected. Most are worse than useless and here are some examples for your ammusement:
Yep I use the road even though there is a parallel cycle path, because the cycle path is in atrocious condition and the road is much better - albeit still in poor condition compared to what it should be, with multiple potholes I need to avoid.
Very true, I am an experienced driver who has been forced to use a push bike this year due to a driving ban. I consider myself a competent cyclist who understands and obeys the rules of the road but I have had a few near misses from drivers through absolutely no fault of my own whatsoever.
I would certainly prefer to use cycle paths but the ones on my journey to work are a disgrace. Which is probably why most cyclists I see are on the road as well.
As for making me pay road tax, well I think they've had enough in road taxes and fuel duty etc. off me in 19 years of driving.
i often cycle on a big 'A' road to avoid the cycle path, rather risk itwith the traffic then get on and off like a pedastrian, cycling on a badly maintained path which stops and starts makes you get off and walk and will probably give you a puncture for every 2 miles ridden.
if they made a cycle network which was accessable i wouldn't mind paying road tax for bike, not sure how they would do it though, imo they should have a good cycle network anyways, cycling is great, cheap less traffic then cars and should be future traveling method for distances under 20miles.
if they made a cycle network which was accessable i wouldn't mind paying road tax for bike, not sure how they would do it though, imo they should have a good cycle network anyways, cycling is great, cheap less traffic then cars and should be future traveling method for distances under 20miles.
Caporegime
This is why I hate Taxi drivers, I treat them all as scum now at first, In Manchester I cycle down the A34 from the city centre, there are lots of signs telling them to give cyclists room but they don't and force me through pot holes, I'd had taxi drivers pull out, overtake, then stop without indicating.. Makes me wonder how they get a driving license.
And on the talk of cycle lanes, I find a large majority of them on the side of the road are to be avoided as the amount of **** in them makes them puncture city.
Who are people insured with for cover against theft on bikes and how much does it cost?
A licence sounds ridiculous as well to me. Would you get points on your bicycle licence for running a red light for example? Would you need a bicycle licence if you already had a car licence? If you are banned from driving a car, should you also be banned from using a bike?
At a time when the country is in debt up to the eyeballs I hardly think we should be spending millions more on setting up pointless schemes like this which would achieve nothing beneficial.
You didn't mention, which is why I was asking
What form would the competency test take, would those of us currently using a bike have to desist until we paid to take and pass a test? How much would it cost the country to set up and run this scheme, and to employ all the examiners who would be needed? And the enforcement of the scheme?
I can't believe anyone seriously thinks this would be beneficial?
What is the point? If a cyclist wants to ride in an inconsiderate manner, run red lights etc. then passing a simple test and getting a 'licence' isn't going to stop him anyway!
Man of Honour
Conversely, there are just as many idiot motorists with licences. Saw one serve out of control Friday night who hit a tree. Wasn't pleasant. He was messing with his iPod!
There are cyclists that do have licences but insurance is a good idea. I do have public liability which as added onto my household insurance. I have used it once when I hit a parked car. #Thwack# .. I knocked on owners door and was all sorted in no time.
Soldato
We should be doing all we can to get less cars on the road and more bikes if anything. Not paying VED, registration is a good reason to use a bike, let's keep it that way.
You put an idoit on a bike, he's an idoit, put him in a car and nothing has changed.
As for cycle paths, if it's safer then I will use it, the one that runs across the front of mine is better than the road and it's quite big so speed isn't an issue but around winter the cycle path was lethal, the amount of accidents on the ice there was, was horrible. You would ride along straight and then slide, people could barely walk without slipping - pretty dangerious, so I was slow on it so I never had an accident but I have an MTB, I'd hate to try a racer on it though. The rest of my 8mi was on the road and no problems, so in that case I didn't use the cycle path.
You put an idoit on a bike, he's an idoit, put him in a car and nothing has changed.
As for cycle paths, if it's safer then I will use it, the one that runs across the front of mine is better than the road and it's quite big so speed isn't an issue but around winter the cycle path was lethal, the amount of accidents on the ice there was, was horrible. You would ride along straight and then slide, people could barely walk without slipping - pretty dangerious, so I was slow on it so I never had an accident but I have an MTB, I'd hate to try a racer on it though. The rest of my 8mi was on the road and no problems, so in that case I didn't use the cycle path.
+1 really good idea
Deleted member 651465
D
Deleted member 651465
I don't see why people are complaining about (re: bike license). You need a license to drive a motorbike (even if you have a car license), so it's not beyond comprehension to think some people should learn the rules of the road before using it 
Taxing cyclists for using the road is stretching it a bit though!
Taxing cyclists for using the road is stretching it a bit though!
I don't see why people are complaining about (re: bike license). You need a license to drive a motorbike (even if you have a car license), so it's not beyond comprehension to think some people should learn the rules of the road before using it
Will you explain how it would work and how much it would cost to implement, how it would be enforced and what the benefits would be?
Why they cant even enforce it with people driving cars, think how much tax money would be spent on trying to fine and enforce insurance on cyclists.
Deleted member 651465
D
Deleted member 651465
My point being that a simple lesson on the rules of the road before allowing someone on it is beneficial for everyone. It could be as simple as the driving theory test. Any new implementation is going to cost money, so I can't really argue that
