Why are motorcycles not exempt from road tax?

[R1Geezer]

The government claims to be wanting to discourage car usage so why don't they abolish road tax for motorcycles?

[redcrx]

would be a nice idea, but even motorcycles need decent roads so they do need to pay their share.

[mxyzptlk]

I think they should double it and maybe take some of the idiots, who think road safety law and speed limits don't apply to bikers, off the road

[R1Geezer]

red, we all pay our share through fuel, you don't think for a minute that all the tax collected from road users is actually spent on the road do you?

[Davethedog]

No the Government don't want to discourage car useage - They just say the want to discourage car useage - They want the tax off of petrol.

If the guenuinly wanted to discourage car useage they would have affordable and flexable public transport

[redcrx]

i know the majority is in fuel. So if a bike is using less fuel then where would their share come from then?

If bikes are to be exempt its hardly fair to those with families, or are you expecting we fill mopeds up like the italians do? A couple of seats on the paniers of the fazer would do the job maybe :)

[R1Geezer]

I take your point about the "share" but this is really about reducing congestion etc. Eg electirc cars are exempt but they still use the road.

[R1Geezer]

No red a car is necessary for families etc. Stand by any main road and count how many cars have more than 1 person in, 75%!.

[Davethedog]

If you want to stop congestion its simple for every car at an address increase the road tax. So car 1 gets taxed at todays level. 2nd car £1,000 3rd Car £5,000 etc then you still get personal choice.

I have a neighbour they have 4 cars - he works 6 miles away on a direct bus route only uses the car for work - she works about a mile away - 1st child walks to work - 2nd child works 3 miles away.

[joko]

i doubt many people would choose to ride a motorbike just because theres no tax on it...

[trt]

I think we should tax push bike owners, why should they be exempt from it, apart from the roads, they use the the pavements as well.

[ELVIS68]

They should scrap road tax and just put the cost of fuel up, it`ll stop road tax dodgers

[kia cat]

not to mention how much we pay for cycle lanes like this http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8599140.stm
plus if they injure someone where is the insurance cover?

[R1Geezer]

The cycling thing regularly comes up but it's impossible, you'd have to register push bikes and their riders from 4 year old kids to foriegn students etc etc the whole thing would be the equivalent of setting up another DVLA. Nice subject for a rant but not really viable.

[joggerjayne]

I think there should be compulsory insurance to take a bicycle on the road.

[R1Geezer]

yes JJ and I think there should be peace on earth! Not remotely feasable!

[joggerjayne]

Geezer ... real incident that happened a few years ago ...

Motorbiker riding up dual carriageway.

Cyclist pulls out.

Biker has choice ... mow down clclist, or try to avoid.

Tries to avoid ... biker is thrown from bike, and breaks neck.

Paralysed for life.

Fed by nurses.

Taken to toilet by nurses.

Put to bed by nurses.

For the rest of his life.

Cyclist 100% at fault.

Cyclist is student, with no money. Not worth suing.

Biker didn't get a single penny compensation.

I knew the biker's parents.

Shortly afterwards, I insured myself for cycling on the road, and I still am insured.

NB. If the cyclist was a homeowner, or had a job, the biker would have sued him for several £100,000's and probably bankrupted him.

Moral ... NEVER cycle on the roads unless you are insured.

[jake-the-peg]

You do have a point to some degree geezer.

There is a current policy of discouraging gas guzzlers through road tax

But compare the current tax rate of only £50 a year for up to 600cc motor bikes and a top band of only £70 compared to the current top couple of bands for cars at £750 a year an £950 a year .

I think a number of car drivers will think you're being a bit cheeky asking for a full exemption

[joggerjayne]

But I agree, jake.

One of my cars costs me £400 a year in road tax ...

... but I agree that motorbikes should be exempt.

[Old_Geezer]

Even if the reason for road tax was to discourage motorised road use, motorcycles use the road, and run on fuel, so abolishing the tax hardly serves the main purpose.

This sort of question is clearly posed in self interest. "Let me travel 'free', the rest of you can contribute to the public coffers instead."

Fact is that if there are too many vehicles then that is yet another symptom of too many people. Governments should not be hitting easy targets with the tax stick in a futile effort to compensate for their inability to discourage, rather than encourage population growth. They are supposed to serve not bully, not that you'd know it.

Citizen Smith had the right idea.