On Cyclists: or, How Representative Systems Operate
Proposed cycling tax in Scotland
I am utterly 100% behind providing better services for cyclists, including dedicated cycle networks entirely outwith the road network.
Edinburgh is a city with extensive, affordable bus services around town. The fact the local bus operator, Lothian Buses, has won numerous awards supports this. There's going to be about a 1400 person capacity deficit over Edinburgh due to current work on the trams, which is a thinly veiled gimmick that everyone seems to have seen through, but the politicians haven't figured out we've seen through. I would much rather see the money that is currently being put into these trams put into the road network to support the bus service, instead of detracting from it. A specific project I feel that should be looked at is the creation of the type of cycling services described above.
For one simple reason: to get the cyclists off the road.
I can think of no greater impediment to traffic flow than a single cyclist that is piggybacking on a service that is paid for by others. And to make this worse, the attitude of the majority of cyclists once they get onto the road is much like that of a taxi driver, or a van man. I have seen 4 double-decker buses being held up by a single cyclist. At rush hour. That's 280 people who have their journeys extended by a single person. The cyclist knew the buses were there, but didn't move over. Part of this I think stems from a 'I have every right to be here' attitude. Frankly, I think this is misinformed, and in ignorance of the law: "[if] a person rides a cycle on a road without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road, he is guilty of an offence." [1] In fact, the Road Traffic Act is rather a good read for pointing out why cyclists aren't just bad road users, but why their behaviour is most places is again the law. In this case "reasonable consideration" isn't defined, but I don't think any judge in the land would say that hold up 280 people is reasonable behaviour. Of course the problem with this is that there is no clear way to report cyclists exhibiting such behaviour, as there are is no display of registration with which to make a report.
There is a choice these days to drive, walk, take public transport, or cycle. The only ones who don't pay tax for their choice are cyclists. I choose to drive, I pay road tax. I take public transport, I still a portion of road tax. I choose to walk? Well, I pay council tax, don't I? (For clarification, I was walk on pavements, not roads. And when I do need to walk on the road, for example if I am hill-walking, then I get out of the way for cars.)
One thing I hear time and time again from cyclists is that there are insufficient services provided for their choice - and as I said, I agree. But they have no right to complain at the services they are taking for free. Thus, I am entirely for taxation of cyclists, to bring them into line with the rest of the travel options, and to allow them a proper avenue and proper reasons for complaining about available services. Magnanimously, I even extend the up-front use of existing money for this purpose, as obviously there is an immediate need.
To put this argument more succinctly: "No representation without taxation."
EDIT: I should clarify that I cannot drive. This is my opinion as a public transport user. That's the other alternative that the government want us to get on instead of driving cars. Given the current situation, cyclists help prevent the mass uptake of public transport.
[1] Road Traffic Act 1988, Section 29.
I am utterly 100% behind providing better services for cyclists, including dedicated cycle networks entirely outwith the road network.
Edinburgh is a city with extensive, affordable bus services around town. The fact the local bus operator, Lothian Buses, has won numerous awards supports this. There's going to be about a 1400 person capacity deficit over Edinburgh due to current work on the trams, which is a thinly veiled gimmick that everyone seems to have seen through, but the politicians haven't figured out we've seen through. I would much rather see the money that is currently being put into these trams put into the road network to support the bus service, instead of detracting from it. A specific project I feel that should be looked at is the creation of the type of cycling services described above.
For one simple reason: to get the cyclists off the road.
I can think of no greater impediment to traffic flow than a single cyclist that is piggybacking on a service that is paid for by others. And to make this worse, the attitude of the majority of cyclists once they get onto the road is much like that of a taxi driver, or a van man. I have seen 4 double-decker buses being held up by a single cyclist. At rush hour. That's 280 people who have their journeys extended by a single person. The cyclist knew the buses were there, but didn't move over. Part of this I think stems from a 'I have every right to be here' attitude. Frankly, I think this is misinformed, and in ignorance of the law: "[if] a person rides a cycle on a road without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road, he is guilty of an offence." [1] In fact, the Road Traffic Act is rather a good read for pointing out why cyclists aren't just bad road users, but why their behaviour is most places is again the law. In this case "reasonable consideration" isn't defined, but I don't think any judge in the land would say that hold up 280 people is reasonable behaviour. Of course the problem with this is that there is no clear way to report cyclists exhibiting such behaviour, as there are is no display of registration with which to make a report.
There is a choice these days to drive, walk, take public transport, or cycle. The only ones who don't pay tax for their choice are cyclists. I choose to drive, I pay road tax. I take public transport, I still a portion of road tax. I choose to walk? Well, I pay council tax, don't I? (For clarification, I was walk on pavements, not roads. And when I do need to walk on the road, for example if I am hill-walking, then I get out of the way for cars.)
One thing I hear time and time again from cyclists is that there are insufficient services provided for their choice - and as I said, I agree. But they have no right to complain at the services they are taking for free. Thus, I am entirely for taxation of cyclists, to bring them into line with the rest of the travel options, and to allow them a proper avenue and proper reasons for complaining about available services. Magnanimously, I even extend the up-front use of existing money for this purpose, as obviously there is an immediate need.
To put this argument more succinctly: "No representation without taxation."
EDIT: I should clarify that I cannot drive. This is my opinion as a public transport user. That's the other alternative that the government want us to get on instead of driving cars. Given the current situation, cyclists help prevent the mass uptake of public transport.
[1] Road Traffic Act 1988, Section 29.