"...Cyclists are, generally and with a few exceptions, a menace on the hiways and byways and ought to be taxed off the road. At the very least they ought to have annual licence plates for their contraptions, compulsory third-party and property damage insurance, five year cyclists licences with photo and signature (for which they should sit a test), and they ought to pay a mileage levy just like diesel trucks do, to pay a contribution to the roads that they otherwise use for free. This latter tax could be used to pay for the dedicated cycle lanes that cyclists seem to constantly demand.Sounds sensible to me..."
These are not suggestions one would anticipate from a fellow FReeper as they're VERY leftist in nature. All that taxing you proposed? Really?
The second thing to keep in mind is cyclists already pay their share. I own three cars and a motorcycle that are registered and insured. Do you also promote "road use taxes" for pedestrians who walk along the shoulder...who also likely own cars, trucks, and motorcycles, too?
I’m just getting ready for the future when our Dear Leader makes bicycles the only form of wheeled transport legal for white males to use.
Or course, after we pay our “mileage levy” and get our “compulsory third-party and property damage insurance”.
Road taxes are primarily to pay for the damage vehicles cause to the road. For all practical purposes bicycles cause no damage at all. Their use, even in high quantity, requires no additional maintenance.
In fact, if more people cycled instead of driving, the need for maintenance would go down proportionately.