Metro newspaper article

[JeRkY]

A well founded piece of journalistic art this is not.

Sorry if it doesn't show up too well this is all being done from my phone on the train where ive just had the pleasure of reading this. I'd like to know a little more about this study and also it would of been nice for the paper to dispell the myth that only car drivers/owners fund the maintanance of the road networks.

 

[MikeD]

At least the second half offers a hint of balance. But yes, you'd have thought someone would have noticed that everyone pays for that stuff :/

Of course, given normal distributions and bell-shaped curves and stuff, 25% of people are just a bit daft

 

[BobCatMax]

I love statistics..is that 25% of all motorists? some?

it'll be like those make up adverts with very small print at the bottom

25% of motorists*




*of the 4 we spoke to in the queue at the garage we were filling up at on the way into work this morning

 

[unkleGsif]

It really gets me pissed when motorists think that they are the only ones that pay for the maintenance of the road network...... and this sort of lazy, sensationalist journalism really doesnt help

Motorists paying for car tax (or road fund licence as it used to be called), DO NOT contribute exclusively to road maintenance.... we all do, through Council Tax

Car tax has been, for at least a decade, been used as a representative tax (based on the "Pollutor Pays Principle"), of fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions, and Governement lno longer pays for the road network upkeep.

So you see, cyclists DO pay for road maintanence


People should get their facts straight, before spouting off a load of bullshit

G

 

[Neil]

None of these taxes are hypothecated.

All are just reasons to extract tax, rather than provide funding for various needs.

At the end of the day, roads - like practically all other infrastructure - are funded by general taxation.

That motorists may feel they have an axe to grind (reasonably, in my opinion) in that taxation is levied, based on the simple principle of "because they can", and have been practically punitively taxed for quite some time, doesn't mean they have any true call for ownership of the roads.

And besides, not sure what the stats are - and I'm not suggesting that here is representative - but what proportion of people here, are also motorists and pay road tax (! VED), tax on fuel (with VAT slapped on top)?

edit: all that said, though, and repeating something I've said countless times, the road environment, conditions, costs, road design has contributed to making it something of a hostile environment for motorists, and seems to foster the "them" and "us" in regards to cars and cycles.

 

[BoyBurning]

It's the Metro.

It's free for a reason.

Rather than reading it I'd suggest any of the following as being preferable:


a: not picking it up / accepting it when offered by people wearing rubber coats ten sizes too big for them

b: leaving it on the seat where you found it and instead amusing yourself by counting the threads on your jumper

c: using it to dry the floor when it's raining and the train is slippy

d: kicking yourself in the bollocks

e: see 'd' above. twice.

 

[BoyBurning]

f: put it in the 'General & Off Topic Chat' section of the forum and let it run to 20 pages of ever-increasing insults between forum 'members'...


BB

 

[gerryattrick]

This also ignores the fact that a large percentage of bike riders are probably also car owners (based on my friends/colleagues so not a scientific statistic) who already pay road tax and, by using their bikes, lessen the damage to roads and the environment.

Would be interesting to see an analysis of how many cyclists are also car owners.

 

[MADJEZ]

Quite right too make em pay I say and those freeloading pedestrians wearing down the pavement....

Couple of points :

A: What road maintenance - most of the roads I cycle on are pot-holed to bits.

B: Since we have 3 cars in our household that we pay tax on surely we are paying for the upkeep of these roads.

C: As above since it's based on pollution levels what about band A cars (under 100 g/KM CO2) which pay NO ROAD TAX... how much wear and tear do these 'freeloaders' put on the infrastructure ?

 

[rienster]

95% of all cyclist (that don't own a car) want higher road tax for drivers!!!!!!