SNP consider charging Scottish cyclists road tax

LittleB0b

I believe Scotland on Sunday led with this today.

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/la ... 5642372.jp

just heard, so haven't dug too deep - but seems a bit of a populist ploy

Crapaud

I can't read some of the article 'cause of a stupid Yahoo ad. :evil:

Here's the Sunday Herald's version.

And a link to the Cycling Action Plan Scotland.

It'll never happen. The whole thing's a storm in a teacup, IMO.

bill57

They're already denying it, saying it was something some stupid civil servant thought up and the government has no plans in this direction. Probably because they realise what a bunch of a*seholes it makes them look.

bompington

Gave me a genuine wtf moment (and I don't swear) when I walked past the paperstand and saw the headline.
Seems pretty stupid & highly unlikely but with pols these days you always wonder, what's it a distracter for?

Crapaud

bill57 wrote:

They're already denying it, saying it was something some stupid civil servant thought up and the government has no plans in this direction. Probably because they realise what a bunch of a*seholes it makes them look.

Strictly speaking, they haven't. It was in a consultative document, (See the CAPS link above) they are simply exploring ideas.

Cressers

So who thought of the idea/? A civl servant somewhere? Don't they have anything better to be doing with their expensive time?

And why, if the idea was so ridiculous, was it not edited out of the final draft?

LittleB0b

The cynic in me suggests that this is the SNP throwing a straw into the wind to see which way it's blowing.

However i really hope it is a false alarm - I mean number plates on my bike - that's gonna spoil the sleek elegance

Cressers

Who'd have thought that the Nats would be even more extreme than NuLab when it comes to these sort of schemes? Or are NuLab giving the nod and wink to see if it can be made to work in Scotland and then rolled-out to the rest of the UK? It'll be interesting to be a cyclist living just on the english side of the border who rides on scottish roads...

I'm pleased to be 500 miles further south!

Crapaud

Cressers wrote:

Who'd have thought that the Nats would be even more extreme than NuLab when it comes to these sort of schemes? Or are NuLab giving the nod and wink to see if it can be made to work in Scotland and then rolled-out to the rest of the UK? It'll be interesting to be a cyclist living just on the english side of the border who rides on scottish roads...

I'm pleased to be 500 miles further south!

They're not. It's been suggested before ...

Scotland on Sunday wrote:

... The document does not make clear how much cyclists would have to pay or how it would be implemented, but Scotland on Sunday understands discussions have centred on registration plates for bikes – a proposal floated by Ken Livingstone when he was London mayor, although the plan was never adopted. ...

... and I din't think it was the first time either. It's unworkable and won't happen.

Aggieboy

Is it to make up for the sporting revenue lost from the World Cup?

PMelville

It is a stupid idea and I don't care who thought it up.

There is a campaign set up to stop this in the Scottish Parliament

You can see it here:

http://www.scottishlabour.org.uk/nobiketax

I've just signed - it is crazy stuff and must be stopped. Even if it is just a "straw in the wind" we can't take the chance.

Cressers

I wouldn't trust ScottishNuLab as far as I could throw them...

The Labour Party and its elected representatives may use the data you have supplied

bad company

Relax. It just won't happen. :roll:

Mike Healey

For a comprehensive debunking of the subject go to:

http://files.meetup.com/225788/Bike%20L ... Review.pdf

Only two pages but demolishes pretty much all the arguments in favour. Add to Favourites for rapid rebuttals of the regular Lazarus effect on the idea

Garry H

Road tax charge is levied according to amount of pollution discharged, ie size of engine, isn't it?

spen666

Garry H wrote:

Road tax charge is levied according to amount of pollution discharged, ie size of engine, isn't it?

No, ROAD TAX was abolished in the 1930s

bagpusscp

I understand the Faily Wail {Newspaper} has given its full support to bring the idea south of the border.

priory

so the snp are in cahoots with the daily hate are they? well it would not be the first time a nationalist party went far, far to the right.
They had better watch out . The mail might realise that scots are a minority.