'Road Tax' debate rumbles on...
Discussion
http://www.confused.com/press/releases/cyclo-paths...
So called 'research' from appropriately named Confused.com looks to be reinforcing the notion that VED is a 'Road Tax' and not an emmissions based vehicle duty.
According to their poll of drivers who have apparently been irritated by a cyclist at some point, 25% of them want cyclists to pay some form of 'Road Tax'. I think this is very sloppy and cynical from an organisation that should know the taxation system better. It just perpetuates the myth of road tax for lazy and arrogant motorists to use against cyclist who have just as much a right to be on the road as them.
And of course, if bikes were subject to the same VED system as cars, It'd be free anyway as bikes are zero emmissions vehicles...which would make them even angrier...
So called 'research' from appropriately named Confused.com looks to be reinforcing the notion that VED is a 'Road Tax' and not an emmissions based vehicle duty.
According to their poll of drivers who have apparently been irritated by a cyclist at some point, 25% of them want cyclists to pay some form of 'Road Tax'. I think this is very sloppy and cynical from an organisation that should know the taxation system better. It just perpetuates the myth of road tax for lazy and arrogant motorists to use against cyclist who have just as much a right to be on the road as them.
And of course, if bikes were subject to the same VED system as cars, It'd be free anyway as bikes are zero emmissions vehicles...which would make them even angrier...
paulrockliffe said:
And if more people made the same choice they wouldn't be stuck in traffic. Conversely, if all the cyclists were in their cars they'd be queuing for a lot longer.
I had the great misfortune in doing Transport module while at Uni (I thought it was going to be about speedboats and jets - it wasn't - bus routes and timetables).Anyway what you have just described was talked about in one lecture and given the great title of The Tyranny of Small Decisions. Its a very useful theory that uses the following model.
100 people take 1 hour to get to work by bus. Suddenly one of them discovers he can get to work by car in 45 minutes, but now the bus takes 1 hour and 1 minute. More folk decide to go by car driving up the bus journey time until everyone goes by car but it now takes 90 minutes.
You can apply it to loads of situations including most congestion. Everyone is making seperate decisions to advance their own individual progress, but in so doing the whole community suffers. So at roadworks where two lanes merge into one, if both lanes were used fully and there was a strict alternating of vehicles at the point of the merging traffic would flow much better than the angry free for all you usually see.
^^^ This is exactly the sort of info that should be incorporated into a govt sponsored "infomercial" (I'm not sure if I just made that up or not).
If presented in the adverts during X-Factor, it would reach a lot of the population. The "green cross code", "Clunk Click", and "Don't dazzle, dip your headlights" was clearly understood by a large proportion of the poulation.
If presented in the adverts during X-Factor, it would reach a lot of the population. The "green cross code", "Clunk Click", and "Don't dazzle, dip your headlights" was clearly understood by a large proportion of the poulation.
Watchman said:
Not at all like PH.A main culprit is the lazy use of language, so in this instance the use of the term 'road tax' is an easy label that on the surface we think we understand, but in fact refers to something totally different.
2volvos said:
Being ignorant is the easy option as it doesn't require the effort of thought. Could get quite philosophical for a Wednesday morning...
A main culprit is the lazy use of language, so in this instance the use of the term 'road tax' is an easy label that on the surface we think we understand, but in fact refers to something totally different.
Even the government use the term "road tax"!A main culprit is the lazy use of language, so in this instance the use of the term 'road tax' is an easy label that on the surface we think we understand, but in fact refers to something totally different.
Ignorance s perpetuated by the "role models" people look up too. The air head faux celebrities like Jordan, the famous for being famous not for any skill or talent make people aspire to be talentless lay abouts.
Embedded beliefs that are indeed predudice only go to comfort the believer. There has been a persitant refusal to address the car-centric religion that pervades society. Public Service items or a re-education programme are not options. Governments do not court popularity by upsetting those groups that provide large amounts of tax revenue.
Taxing cyclists is a war cry from those who are trying to create an underclass of road users who are fair game and whose casualty rates are of no consequence.
Taxing cyclists is a war cry from those who are trying to create an underclass of road users who are fair game and whose casualty rates are of no consequence.
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