What the budget did for Cyclists...

[carpetbagger]

how about abolishing car insurance and putting extra on fuel. Enough to give you a basic 3rd party insurance then everyone is covered. If you want to top up your insurance to fully comp then you pay more to insurance company but this has to be be capped at a lot lower level than we currently pay..It would also mean those who dodge insurance will be hit.
I know technically we are paying it anyway with the tax on petrol but surely it would be better.

 

[indalo]

JuicyBike, is there an election coming up as I like your manifesto almost enough to vote for you. I take issue with your politicians on bikes bit though. I'd increase their "travel expenses" by 50% to encourage more of them on to two wheels. Maybe then, they'd understand cycling and green issues!

Regards,
Indalo

 

[JuicyBike]

Indalo, before you cast your vote be assured I would also fill potholes in bike lanes with tarmac taken from the driveways of those who have more cars than me.

I will compromise on Politicians campaigning with bikes. They will simply be forced to wear high visibility jackets whenever they travel or whenever they appear on TV. Most are keen to ride whilst on campaign, but when elected are rarely seen on a bike again.

 

[flecc]

I was under the impression that duty was paid at the point of sale, not on stock held. My source for this information was a petrol station cashier. Unfortunately, he wasn't the brightest star in the sky, so this information could be wrong. I couldn't find anything on Google during my very brief search to provide a definitive answer.

What makes me think that duty is paid at point of sale rather than on stock, is the fact that when the chancellor announces a rise in fuel duty at say 6:00 pm that day, just that happens, it goes up at 6:00 pm. No waiting to use up existing stocks.

The representative of their trade body was on BBC Radio 4 saying exactly what I reported. I've absoutely no doubt he wasn't blatantly telling lies, since the subject of his appearance was his protest at the chancellor's 6 pm announcement after being warned it could not happen.
.

 

[jerrysimon]

I have just come back from lunch after spending some time with one of the organisers of Cambridge cycle challenge. Businesses across Cambridge are competing to see who can get the most members of staff to ride a bike for at least 10 minutes between Monday 14 March and Sunday 3 April.

There are various backers to the challenge like CTC and I think local council and government are supplying some funding.

This is the second year of the challenge but the organiser told me that it will be cancelled after this year, as all support funding has been cut.

I guess I should not be surprised, it is clear the Government is not interested in getting people back on bikes.

Regards

Jerry

 

[JuicyBike]

Cycling England did stacks of great work, but cost £200,000 per year to run, so had to go...

 

[tillson]

Well going back to what the budget did for cyclists, as an indirect consequence, it has strengthened my resolve to continue using my bike. I've only filled the car up once this year and still have 3/4 of a tank left. The wife's car is a different story though.

I've certainly seen more people commuting by bike in 2011, so perhaps the government are promoting cycling, but I doubt that was their intent.

 

[Mussels]

how about abolishing car insurance and putting extra on fuel. Enough to give you a basic 3rd party insurance then everyone is covered. If you want to top up your insurance to fully comp then you pay more to insurance company but this has to be be capped at a lot lower level than we currently pay..It would also mean those who dodge insurance will be hit.
I know technically we are paying it anyway with the tax on petrol but surely it would be better.

So a middle aged chap driving a camper van will pay much more for his insurance than a 17 year old in a knackered Peugeot GTI, I don't see that being popular.

 

[carpetbagger]

So a middle aged chap driving a camper van will pay much more for his insurance than a 17 year old in a knackered Peugeot GTI, I don't see that being popular.

at least they would have some sort of cover which a growing number haven't nowadays. We are funding them anyway at the moment...it would probably work out cheaper.
Oh i forgot to say,
17-20 limited to max 1000cc and 50mph
20-23 limited to max 1200cc and 60mph
23-25 limited to max 1300cc
cars have to have appropriate sticker on back for max speed a la France
and if they get caught breaking these requirments then compulsory 12 month ban,the car is scrapped and they have to retake test,Plus 40 hours compulsory driving lessons with a driving school. The latter part should apply to any motoring offences. After that....hang em high

 

[flecc]

Plus 40 hours compulsory driving lessons with a driving school. The latter part should apply to any motoring offences. After that....

I don't agree with this bit, I think driving schools are the inadvertant source of the poor driving standards so evident these days.
.

 

[carpetbagger]

Actually the budget did ok for cyclists, they knocked 1p off which was added on therefore keeping prices high,now if only he had kept the 5p or whatever it was increase that would have driven a few more people off the roads making more space for cyclists and increasing safety.

 

[allen-uk]

I don't agree with this bit, I think driving schools are the inadvertent source of the poor driving standards so evident these days.
.

Go on, flecc, I'm puzzled. Aren't they just training people to the level of the driving test, and if so, isn't that the problem rather than the schools?


A.

 

[tillson]

if they get caught breaking these requirments then compulsory 12 month ban,the car is scrapped and they have to retake test,Plus 40 hours compulsory driving lessons with a driving school.

This is where it all falls down. They wont abide by the ban.

We don't punish properly anymore, there are no consequences, we don't hold to account, no one takes responsibility, the offender is always the victim.

The scrapping of cars driven without insurance is already in existence. As you can imagine, it isn't easy to implement and has little effect on the people we should be persecuting.

 

[carpetbagger]

The point about the having to to 40 hours at driving school is that it will cost £700+ to do this....a bit more punishment.
I also agree with the comments of scrapping the cars,the government said they would do this to non insurers and persistent offenders which they don't.
It is about time someone had the balls to carry out the threats and not just to joe bloggs but also to the rich and famous who have memeory lapses.There can be no excuses,you also get reminders for tax and insurance well in advance.

 

[flecc]

Go on, flecc, I'm puzzled. Aren't they just training people to the level of the driving test, and if so, isn't that the problem rather than the schools?


A.

I'd need to write a book to explain this fully. Briefly, present driving school methods with young drivers inadvertently inculcate future attitudes that are dangerous.

Far better futures are possible with the present test, or even no test at all.

It's perhaps not entirely the fault of driving schools, but they are in a behavioural rut that they've been in ever since the first school and there's no attempt to think about whether they are doing the right thing.
.

 

[allen-uk]

I'd need to write a book to explain this fully. Briefly, present driving school methods with young drivers inadvertently inculcate future attitudes that are dangerous.

.

Alright, I'll settle for a single example. (I'm not carrying a torch for driving schools, but I am still curious as to what they do wrong that isn't picked up in the driving test).


A

 

[flecc]

I can't answer in that way, which is why I didn't attempt it. It's not about anything wrong that could be picked up by the driving test.

In fact it's that narrow perspective that is wrong, the driving instructors not seeing the wood for the trees.
.

 

[allen-uk]

I can't answer in that way, which is why I didn't attempt it. It's not about anything wrong that could be picked up by the driving test.

In fact it's that narrow perspective that is wrong, the driving instructors not seeing the wood for the trees.
.

Shame, as we will never know whether we've been deprived of some deep insight... or the reverse!


A

 

[flecc]

It is a proven insight, judging from the record of those young drivers who benefited, the first now reaching 50 years old.
.

 

[allen-uk]

It is a proven insight, judging from the record of those young drivers who benefited, the first now reaching 50 years old.
.

Perhaps I should take up drinking again, after an absence of 9 years; I might gain some Insight.


A