Why Cyclists Shouldn't Pay Registration

 

With the 1 metre rule coming into affect today there has certainly been some debate as to its worthiness. 

 It seems the same old “Cyclists don’t pay registration” comments have started to raise their head once again.

 I cant take credit for this….but below are some wise words from Stephen Mitchell of Brisbane on the subject.

“In QLD approximately $11 on average from each vehicle registered totalling approximately $270m was raised from rego and traffic improvement fees. However after taking out all running costs of TMR (not iincluding construction of any roads) this figure washes up to be approximately $50million.

A single overpass cost our State Government $200m to build with a further overpass in Brisbane, and 2 major road widening projects.
So basically .25 overpasses was paid for with rego and traffic improvement fee. The rest came back to our State Government from Federal Government consolidated revenue to the tune of approximately $25BILLION.
That $25billion came from fuel tax, alcohol tax, income tax and most importantly the GST that I paid on my bikes, my helmets, my bike clothes etc etc etc along with just about everything else I buy or pay for.
I also paid rates and charges to my local government that pays for my council owned roads.
Sure WE car drivers (I have 2 and spend my fair share on fuel, rego etc etc etc just like you and every other cyclist that I know) HELP to fund the roads but if you think that somehow non-cycling car drivers have more rights to use our roads than cycling car drivers then you are deadset kidding.
Rego does NOT pay for roads.
Rates and taxes do.
Taxes like GST and alcohol and tobacco taxes.
Yes fuel excise too.
So when you see me riding down the road on my bike with the expensive wheels and me in my lycra and helmet on, that is all paying for our roads.
If you are in a car the GST on that and the fuel excise also pays for our roads.
If you pay income tax, that also pays for our roads.
If you own a house and pay rates, those also pay for our roads.
In a round about way your rego contributes to the pot of money that all government expenses come out of (including all of the administration and other expenses of registration), but if you looked at registration as a stand-alone item it is not profitable.
What rego really does is provides a way for authorities to identify a vehicle.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Also, your license only means that some time in the past, you managed to pass a driving test.
Even if rego somehow paid for roads it is only State funded roads. If you are driving on local government roads I hope you are paying rates so that I am not funding the roads you drive on. If you are in a different council to me I hope you don't drive on my councils roads. If you are not paying as much tax as me........ See how stupid some peoples arguments are yet??
Further to that our bike paths (of which there are actually incredibly few) also come out of consolidated revenue”.