Road maintenance tax or emissions based tax?

Discussion in 'General 1000RR Discussion' started by Black & White, Aug 20, 2020.

  1. Black & White

    Black & White Well-Known Member

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    I think it's annoying & unjust that road tax for a Blade is so high. Here's the data from the Gov website regarding my bike. The CO2 emissions are recorded as 0g/km. If it were a car, the tax would be zero pounds.
    There's also a thing called "Real driving emissions", which I find interesting. Unfortunately there's no data for this but maybe that's deliberate. If any of you have had the delightful experience of a major incident on the M25, in a car, you'll know that a 4 hour delay during rush hour(s!) is not that unusual. I defy anyone in Government to tell me that a low emission, zero tax car idling for 4 hours produces less CO2 than a (zero CO2) bike travelling for 20 minutes, while laughing inside at the poor souls sitting there (until the passenger opens their door). How come they pay fuck all & we cough over 90 quid?
    Vehicle Details
    Vehicle make
    HONDA
    Date of first registration
    October 2008
    Year of manufacture
    2008
    Cylinder capacity
    1000 cc
    CO₂ emissions
    0 g/km
    Fuel type
    PETROL
    Euro status
    Not available
    Real Driving Emissions (RDE)
    Not available
    Export marker
    No
    Vehicle status
    Taxed
    Vehicle colour
    BLACK
    Vehicle type approval
    Not available
    Wheelplan
    2 WHEEL
    Revenue weight
    Not available

    I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, if only to make me feel not so grumpy about it.
     
  2. hitch

    hitch Elite Member

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    Only solution is to go electric.
    It's the future.
    Until you do, get ready for that £90 to go up and up and up [​IMG]
     
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  3. Barstewardsquad

    Barstewardsquad God Like

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    Bikes do have emissions but they are not tested at MOT time so that probably explains the details you have.

    As I have read on here before you don't want to shout too much about it though or the Govt will introduce emissions testing and IIRC bikes are quite bad at it so you would probably end up paying more :eek:

    Of course if there is a large traffic jams the bike tend to have filtered to the front and switched their engines off, so feel free to be grumpy about that, just do it to yourself and your missus, that way non-one will listen :D
     
  4. CharlieR85

    CharlieR85 Elite Member

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    My 2.0L TDi VW Golf only pays £20 a year road tax....go figure that out. I think someone messed up a few years ago when these super low bracket road taxes came in. You have certain electric vehicles paying very little and certain diesels like mine paying £20. Realistically they have to make up that shortfall somewhere and hence why perfomance cars pay hundreds and hundreds.

    I'm not complaining though, paying that £20 is an absolute pleasure, I look forward to that reminder every January :D
     
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  5. Slick

    Slick Elite Member

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    Same, I pay that for a 7 seater Citroen! TBF it can carry 7 peeps and still manage over 60mpg
     
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  6. Paul Longstaff

    Paul Longstaff Senior Member

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    See if you can get a 190mph car with £90 road tax :D
     
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  7. Black & White

    Black & White Well-Known Member

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    A Paul Weller lyric goes something like - "I'm so happy and you're so fine, you want more money? of course I don't mind"
    As echoed by Golf owners here, one tonne+ & 4 wheels of that car on the road surely creates more wear & tear than a 1/4 tonne bike. A Diesel Golf must create more pollutants than a bike overall, or at least must be pretty close.
     
  8. Empty_Ten

    Empty_Ten Active Member

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    I’m also in the can’t complain too much category.

    It’s not cheap cheap but it’s not eye wateringly high either. I’ll definitely have a grumble once it passes the £100 mark :oops::D

    My car is tax exempt so in my own ying yang thinking - it all balances out haha.

    Now for unjust fees/taxes - bloody TV licences.....but let’s not get started on that.....:p
     
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  9. Paul Longstaff

    Paul Longstaff Senior Member

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    The govt currently get massive revenues from fuel taxation. That is going to substantially drop over the next 20 years. Vehicles getting much more efficient and we all going to be forced into the Duracell world too.
    So that lost revenue needs to be replaced so we can all expect some pretty big shake ups on motoring taxes going forward and the rfl will be top of the list.
    I'm trying g to resign myself to this fact however unpalatable but like most folks I will still have a serious whinge when it hits me personally :D
     
  10. dainesefreak

    dainesefreak Senior Member

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    My car tax is the one that narks me at just under £500 per year.

    If it was emissions based I'd take it on the chin, but most of it is because I paid over £40k. So I could have bought a right polluting, hardly roadworthy, shit heap and pay a fraction of my current cost.
     
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  11. Nigel H

    Nigel H Active Member

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    My car tax is £60. That's for a 200bhp Mercedes E.
    The 'Blade is still more fun.

    OK the Merc is a Hybrid.
     
  12. Brom66

    Brom66 Well-Known Member

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    Am i right in thinking any car after April 2017costs more than £40k to buy is over £475 per annum, that includes electric and hybrids ?
     
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  13. Boothman

    Boothman Elite Member

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    Yep - my plug in Merc e class has very low emissions, but you get stung because of the list price.
     
  14. mk3golfcab

    mk3golfcab Elite Member

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    The old fiesta is £20 a year, looking for a new car currently as the fam wagon is £130, looking at a 200bhp bmw or Audi. Want the bike to be the highest in this household
     
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  15. raphael

    raphael Elite Member

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    I’ll happily pay for the blade but pisses me off big time paying 300 quid for the car
     
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  16. mk3golfcab

    mk3golfcab Elite Member

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    Worst I’ve ever paid was £265 for my 350Z, I’m with you @raphael, would not stomach that!
     
  17. Marc

    Marc Active Member

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    I’m lucky. The car, a 2015 1.6 Civic, is free to tax. Bizarrely though you still have to go online and tax it, despite there being no amount to pay.

    Good on fuel as well. Filled it up tonight for the first time since April. Cost £48 to brim it from nigh on empty and I’ll easily get over 700 miles out of that.

    Not sure what the Blade costs to tax. Never feels that bad though. If I average it out between car and bike I can’t grumble.
     
  18. Selmer50mark

    Selmer50mark God Like

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    Double that with two Blades :eek: but I claim back the winter months ,,,,,, but if there is the odd nice day in winter I will sneak a ride in o_O Rock N Roll :cool:
     
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  19. Black & White

    Black & White Well-Known Member

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    I suppose it grinds largely because of car tax on top and, up until fairly recently, had a VTR to tax too.
    Got an old Diesel SAAB which is a fortune to tax.
    I filled it up last week, the first time since last November.
    I agree with Paul L. Fuel revenue will drop & I read somewhere that they're thinking of a pay-per-mile system for all.
     
  20. rocket

    rocket Active Member

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    The road tax situation is a right mess. I don't think there should have ever been cars that are free road tax at least pay a minimal charge. I run an Audi rs4 and that's £580 a year but with the reduction in emissions some high end performance cars can be as low as £145. It would be fair to have bikes based on emissions also. Similar subject but I don't agree with older vehicles been mot exempt either. They could be as rusty as an anchor with poor brakes etc pissing out oil and who would know until its too late.
     

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