Your “name withheld” correspondent believes cyclists should be taxed, (Echo 5/6/20 “Time for Licences?”), to use the roads paid for by motorists. He/she says this money may help towards the cost of the current virus pandemic.
He/she might be interested in the following from a national newspaper’s motoring correspondent in 2017: “44 billion pounds is raised annually in taxation on car ownership from fuel duty, road tax etc. This equates to £1,183 from each of the 37 million motorists. Only 4 billion is spent annually on new roads and repairs.”
Given that many of us adult cyclists are also motorists, does he/she not think perhaps we already pay our fair share to cycle over what, here in Dorset, is mainly pot holed tarmacked cart tracks from a bygone era?
How would it be administered? Would adults pay more than teenagers and children cycling to school?
With an ever increasing overweight ageing population what government would want to impede something with proven health benefits that saves the NHS millions?
Taxing cyclists is a total non starter.
Rodney Best
Doncaster Road
Weymouth
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