4 in 10 Motorcycles not taxed ?!

[Mart_er6]

A report from the BBC calculates 4/10 motorcycles not taxed :

https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7200066.stm

I'll have a look at the bikes at work, I doubt very much that
40% are untaxed so where are the numbers from ?

Great publicity for bikes from the BBC and might be used as
an excuse to get tracking chips implanted..
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Honda Varadero XL125 "Vara" > Kawasaki ER6F "Smerf" > Triumph Sprint ST 1050

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[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

interstingly enough, I just found this from 5 years ago.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/main.jhtml?xml=/motoring/2002/11/29/emnplat30.xml
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[iooi]

The answer is simple and cheap.

Drop RFT add a few P to petrol and no one can avoid it....

But this is not how governments work they wold rather spend millions trying to crack a peanut with a sledgehammer.....

But sadly the biker groups were one the loudest anti this, when this was mooted back in the 70's as bikes have a low tax and high average mileage, ergo we get hit the hardest.

I can see this as the way that road pricing is going to be pushed once again to the front.

[headlamp]

So, five people have posted so far - whose bike's not taxed? Mine is - two of you should be riding untaxed! Reveal yourselves!

I think that if the 'public accounts committee' were to do some basic analysis they'd see that the figure was siginifiancatly less. A lot of people have 'spare bikes', possibly haven't declared write-offs etc. and they have failed to take these into account - stupid prats!
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Using a mobile phone while driving a car should be made a capital offence!

[Keir]

alot of people only tax their bikes for 6 months (in the summer) and dont use them the rest of the year.
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[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

There's another thread on this in general, but mine's taxed.
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[owdamer]

Mines Sorned at the moment as I cant ride it, but I have to wonder if they are counting this as "unlicensed"?
The only reason I can see the figure being so high is that there are large numbers of yoofs on untaxed peds?

[Wyvern971]

I sent;




I am sending this after reading an article on the BBC site.
https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7200066.stm

A couple of points I'd like clarifying, though I realise you didn't
actually write the article.

I have numbered these and would like the questions answered, and not
answered selectively. I have also included quotes of comments made by
you from the article. (Quotes are indicated)

Quote:
Motorcyclists are particularly liable to evade road tax. Nearly 40% of
motorcycles are now unlicensed.

1) 40% seems high, how was this figure reached?
2) Does the 40% take into consideration;
i) Track bikes that are never used on the road
ii) Bikes in the process of being restored
3) Is the figure of 4 in 10 just the percentage of SORN bikes?
(If it is I think that's the most ridiculous suggestion that any person
declaring a bike SORN is a liar)


Quote
They must also "strongly consider more severe measures such as
impounding unlicensed motorcycles", he said, adding: "Large parts of the
biking community are cocking a snook at the law."

I don't have a problem with any unlicensed vehicle being impounded if it
is on use on the roads when it is falsely declared SORN.

I do however resent the implication that, "Large parts of the biking
community are cocking a snook at the law."

Most of the bikers I know or have met have no problem with the law, ride
sensibly and courteously, there are of course the odd few that have
little or no regard for the law, but they are a minority and not a,
"Large part" as you suggest.

Although it is not a quote of you,

The report found that motorists who refused to tax a vehicle and
register as its keeper were often trying to avoid congestion charges and
conceal criminal activity.

4) I'd like to know where congestion charging applies to motorbikes
(As far as I was aware it did not currently apply to motorbikes)
5) Is this a suggestion that it is to be brought into effect?
6) What exactly are you implying by, "Criminal activity"?

I am offended that as a motorcyclist you are suggesting I am a criminal.
(As I am sure you would equally be offended if I were to suggest that a
large portion of politicians self serving liars.)

I await your response.

Kind Regards

George Sutton.

I got the response;


Dear Mr Sutton

Thank you for writing to the Chairman of the Committee of Public
Accounts, Edward Leigh, he has asked me to reply on his behalf. You ask
how the Committee arrived at the 40% figure. The figure is derived from
a roadside survey of over one million vehicles conducted by the
Department. Full details of the survey are available on the
Department's website.

With regard to the reported comments about the congestion charge, and
also criminality. The Committee notes:

"Evasion of congestion charges is a factor in the increased level of VED
evasion. Vehicle keepers may try to avoid congestion charges by using
false or cloned plates so that they cannot be traced from the DVLA's
records and hence can not be sent the congestion charge penalty. Many of
those vehicles will also show as unlicensed if seen as part of the
annual roadside survey. VED enforcement against this group is causing
significant and increasing problems for the DVLA. The police experience
comparable difficulties when they try to track vehicles wanted in
relation to other crimes."

The Committee has no view on the congestion charge itself.

I hope you find this helpful.

Yours sincerely

Phil Jones
Committee Assistant, PAC

[shonajoy]

Got an untaxed one but it's on a SORN in the back of my garage. Bet they include those.
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Shona

[st3v3]

Mine is, but that also means 6 out of 10 are. They should be happy with that IMO compared to how many cars I bet are being used untaxed.
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Roger wrote: Women don't get damp for clingy puppies. Get some better happy pills, hit the gym & buy a medallion the size of a dinner plate. Job done

[Kickstart]

Hi

From the article it seems that they found 16% but factored that up to 40%.

Suspect bikes are far more likely to be off the road for a while than cars, and so far more likely to require an MOT when not taxed (to which they can legally be ridden), and more likely to be used while waiting for the DVLA to deliver a tax disk.

Personally it is yet another reason to scrap the tax disk and just put 1p on a litre of petrol to cover it.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Timmeh]

[Mart_er6]

Here's the government committee report if you can be bothered..

https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmpubacc/227x/227.pdf

Choice quotes from committee members on page 11 :

"such
as giving them points in the event that they do not
have a properly taxed motorcycle rather than just a
fining regime?"

and a general off topic whine

"have illegal racing exhausts attached
to the motorcycles which causes a great deal of noise
pollution to the residents along the roads that they
use. These are illegal and yet you are issuing them
with VED certificates despite the fact that they are
operating illegal vehicles."

A Mr. Bacon briefly tries to contest the 4/10 figures but
then later suggests spending millions on advertising to
'put the fear of God into people.'

Martin
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Honda Varadero XL125 "Vara" > Kawasaki ER6F "Smerf" > Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[Mart_er6]

[st3v3]

[thegubner]

I know a few people who have been riding bikes for 30 yrs..ish, and have NEVER bought a tax disc.

[Walloper]

[Dan O]

For those discerning folks who don't read MCN, you may have missed the low-down on how this figure was reached. A roadside census of bikes was taken in July, and in September they checked to see if the bikes seen in the census were licensed. 16% weren't. Now I know many of you will have PhDs, MDs or w-t-f-Ds, and could work this out for yourselves, but MCN correctly points out that more bikes would be licensed in July than in September, so the figures should be lower, not higher, than 16%. This is the first time that MCN has made 2 sensible points in the same issue this century, and a fantastic example of the anti-bike mendacity of the civil service.
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Daniel

[Walloper]

[st3v3]

It's unbelievably easy to buy a bike already taxed, wonderful thing that isn't it.
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Roger wrote: Women don't get damp for clingy puppies. Get some better happy pills, hit the gym & buy a medallion the size of a dinner plate. Job done

[and]

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[Bullet]

i have 4 bikes only ones taxed and the others are sorn'd, also the one that is taxed is not displaying the disc, i stopped leaving it on the bike after my 4th one was nicked and having to pay for a replacement to be sent to you is a right piss take!

also why would they abolish the tax disc system when it is so easy to fine people for forgetting to re-tax their vehicle, or re-sorn their track bike / restoration project plus the old chestnut that it gives the fuzz an excuse to stop you 'sorry sir i thought your tax disc was out of date' and obviously you cant get tax without insurance so it 'helps to identify the uninsured driver' i dont know about the rest of you but ive forgotton to re-sorn a project vehicle before and got a nice £40 fine for my trouble.... which is almost what the tax costs!
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past: ZXR750 J1, K1 & H1, GPX600R, Yamaha Radian. present: ZXR750 J2, SP-1, CB350

[NSR Mick]

Well I've 2 bikes and one isn't taxed or sorned as It's not even registered in my name yet.
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If you dont like the way that I ride.......Stop trying to keep up!!!

[Walloper]