On your bike. Salmond plots to tax cyclists.

Scotland on Sunday reports that the Scottish Executive is considering extending road tax to cyclists. Bizarrely an 'Action Plan' commissioned by the SNP led administration, which aspires to ensure 10% of journeys in Scotland are made by bike, suggests that their owners should make an annual contribution to road maintenance.

The Green Party, which operates a 'confidence and supply' alliance with nationalists in Scotland, and supports Salmond's separatist ambitions, has already expressed its dismay. Road tax is increasingly viewed as a means by which to encourage more environmentally friendly forms of travel.

Scotland might be an exception, but in the rest of the UK agricultural vehicles are exempt from road tax, yet form a regular presence on public roads. I would suggest that they exact more wear and tear and exasperate other road users more frequently than cyclists.

Comments

Petrolhead said…
It's only fair that if cycling increases we'll need to build cycle ways, these cost money to maintain.

Someone has to pay for it surely?

As it is, from what I've read this isn't quote a proposals it's a consultation question.
13 September 2009 at 14:18
Jeff said…
There's no chance this will ever become reality.

It's just been snuck in there in a brainstorming 'no idea is a bad idea' way.

So to use the headline "Salmond plots to tax cyclists" is rather poor.

Bad day of PR for Team SNP though of course.
13 September 2009 at 14:28
Timothy Belmont said…
If they're proposing to tax cyclists, they may as well tax pedestrians too.

Pot-holes and poor surfaces, in my experience, are caused mainly by heavy vehicles combined with shoddy repairs by utility companies - including governmental agencies!

They ought to be scrutinizing what the real cause of road wear is, before they find scapegoats elsewhere.


Tim
13 September 2009 at 18:14
Anonymous said…
>> It's only fair that if cycling increases we'll need to build cycle ways, these cost money to maintain.

>> Someone has to pay for it surely?

Yes, the taxpayer. Surely you don't think there is a unique road tax instead of a common kitty?

Even though, as others have said, this is merely a consultation question, for stupidity it ranks up there with the airy-fairy notion that an independent Scotland would have an open doors policy on immigrations, and that Salmond... of course it was him... could be UNSG. All gesture politics of student unions, showing why the SNP are not fit to run even a regional council.
19 September 2009 at 11:06
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