Poll and Juvenile riders

[RoadieRoger]

Just added my input to the Poll and must admit that I had previously ignored the Topic , usually going straight to Electric Bicycles . Perhaps it`s because of the word which brings up boring thoughts , after all here in Wales we have several of them coming up .They are like buses , none for years and then two a few months apart . I notice the scarcity of under 30 year olds on the bar charts and the valid comments about the minimum age to ride over here and the high price of the machines .
My son has just spent a year working near Shanghai and said that everyone rode their E bikes on the throttle and nobody pedals , they even carry two on them . He said the price of the machine is £200 and the replacement batteries £70 . I gather they allow more powerful motors over there , no wonder they can carry two !
Perhaps a bit more initiative on the part of our Politicians regarding rules and regulations would get more people interested .
We tend to think we are harmonised with the rest of Europe , but we seem to be doing our own thing on Transport matters . The usual thing, we are in the majority of one !

 

[flecc]

Perhaps a bit more initiative on the part of our Politicians regarding rules and regulations would get more people interested

We tend to think we are harmonised with the rest of Europe , but we seem to be doing our own thing on Transport matters . The usual thing, we are in the majority of one !

Surely not, transport law has had the highest priority of all with respect to EU harmonisation!

That's why we have had two major changes in e-bike legislation in Britain/UK and a further major one is currently in process.

There have been occasional transport related opt-outs such as in largest truck sizes and capacities to suit our roads, but these are strongly resisted by the EU and we've lost on most issues.

So it's not necessarily lack of initiative on our politician's part, they are tied as to what they can do. Once in place, EU orders can be virtually impossible to displace, as witness the rule that once VAT is imposed on an item it can never be removed. That's why our electricity bills carry 5% VAT. Our UK government wanted to completely remove VAT from them, but despite every effort could not, and had to be content with reduction to the minimum allowed.
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[RoadieRoger]

EU Rules

Flecc I realise now that I have been unkind to our Politicians , they do have our interests at heart . Perhaps I was thinking too much as a Motorcyclist about the rules limiting Mopeds to 28 mph and the fact that you can ride them up to 20 mph at the age of 14 years plus on the Continent , whilst not letting anyone under 14 years ride E bikes here . Perhaps I`m a miserable cynical 72 year old !

 

[Sevenhills]

That's why our electricity bills carry 5% VAT. Our UK government wanted to completely remove VAT from them, but despite every effort could not, and had to be content with reduction to the minimum allowed.
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That did make my laugh, just like they really want to reduce vehicle fuel duty. All the main parties are signed up to reducing our co2 footprint, to do that our electricity bills need more VAT.

 

[flecc]

That did make my laugh, just like they really want to reduce vehicle fuel duty. All the main parties are signed up to reducing our co2 footprint, to do that our electricity bills need more VAT.

Don't be such a cynic! After all, they did reduce it drastically to the minimum permitted by the EU.

The attempt at removing VAT from electricity bills was well before the present hysteria about CO2, so priorities were somewhat different then and that genuine intention was party political, scoring one over the opposition.

That failure has distorted VAT decision making ever since, governments of all persuasions scared to bring any of the many non-VAT items into the fold since such a move is irreversible. Instead they just yo-yo up or down the rate on existing items, mainstream VAT having been seven different rates (10%, 8%, 15%, 17.5%, 15%, 17.5%, 20%) in just 37 years.

Now there is something to be cynical about, two reductions, four increases!
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[Biged]

Now there is something to be cynical about, two reductions, four increases!
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I suppose we could be really cynical and ask which Governments reduced VAT and which increased it?

 

[flecc]

I suppose we could be really cynical and ask which Governments reduced VAT and which increased it?

The general trend has always been, Labour up, Tory down with all taxation, basically one of the political philosophy, government providing (Labour) or personal provision (Tory).

The present Big Society policy is just the latest variant of that.
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[Biged]

The general trend has always been, Labour up, Tory down with all taxation, .

The present Big Society policy is just the latest variant of that.
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I suppose Margaret Thatcher, John Major nor David Cameron have raised it then?

Just to add:- The Tory passion for VAT « Men In Suits and then i have done on that subject

 

[flecc]

I suppose Margaret Thatcher, John Major nor David Cameron have raised it then?

There are many variants of course, but the general policy has always been as I said.

It's important to look at all taxation to see overall policy, not just be selective about one like VAT as we've both done. The Tory association with VAT results from our EU entry under Ted Heath of course, VAT being integral to EU policy.

On the other hand, it was Heath who abolished resale price maintenance, preventing suppliers from fixing prices and opening the way for cut-pricing to benefit consumers.

None of this is said with a political axe to grind, I'm a member of the "They're all as bad" school of belief about politicians!
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