For letters pages: free ‘who pays for roads?’ text

To some, ‘road tax’ is a stick to hit cyclists with. Sometimes the metaphorical stick is wielded on the road, but mostly it’s waved about on online forums and the letters pages of local and national newspapers. Should you wish to reply to those who bang on about motorists paying ‘road tax’, while cyclists don’t and so should get off the roads, feel free to use some or all of words below. No copyright problems, use as you see fit. (But definitely adapt and personalise so it’s not too boilerplatey). If you’re just after a page to link to there’s this light-hearted take-down of who does and doesn’t pay ‘road tax’.

EXAMPLE LETTER
A number of recent correspondents to [insert local newspaper here] have suggested that cyclists should pay ‘road tax’. However, road tax was abolished 75 years ago. It’s now car tax, does not pay for roads, and is not a fee to use roads.

Roads are paid for by local and national taxation not vehicle excise duty. Motoring taxes haven’t been ring-fenced to pay for roads since 1937 when the Road Fund and ‘road tax’ were abolished. The terms, however, have lingered and many people assume that the ‘road fund licence’ still exists and that ‘road tax’ pays for roads. This mistaken belief leads some people to think cyclists have lesser rights to be on UK roads because they do not pay ‘road tax’. In fact, motorists and cyclists have equal rights to be on UK roads.

Low-emission cars attract zero car tax. Bicycles do not have exhaust pipes so would fall into the same category and would also pay £0.

Motorists and cyclists are often the same people: most cyclists own cars. 87 percent of British Cycling members are car owners.

Should your readers wish to find out more about who and what pays for roads, and why organisations such as the AA, the Post Office and the Plain English Campaign never use the phrase ‘road tax’, they should visit s27697.p982.sites.pressdns.com.