Doing the rounds again is the “promotion” on the internet by various means, usually a forwarded message, mostly on Facebook, of an e-petition on the HM Government website as regards VED (Vehicle Excise Duty) and motorcycles.
The petition asks that motorcycle road tax be brought in line with that of cars, giving an example of yearly VED for a car at £20 compared to a motorcycle at £78.
The petition asks that, “it’s about time this fundamental unfairness was addressed, and motorcycle tax based on emission on the same basis as cars.” and makes the accusation that, “It is either discrimination against motorcyclists, or blatant milking of us for financial benefit.”
The petition now has had over 16,000 signatures and the government has issued a response to the petition.
However back in January we reported on this petition and we said then, which still stands, that you need to be careful what you wish for.
Inline With Cars
10th January 2014
“The petition is seeking to have motorcycles taxed the same way as cars, on the basis of CO2 emissions measured in grams per kilometre (g/km) driven, rather than the present system based on the cc – engine size.
The petition claims that a Honda VFR makes just 16.5g of CO2 and gives an example of a Toyota Aygo (According to the manufactures a Toyota Aygo depending on the model and year has emission levels or around 106/104 g/km or 99 g/km thus a driver pays £20 a year for vehicle tax (zero for first year of registration) or pays zero. The Citroen C1 has similar emissions putting it in Band B but not “139gm of Co2″ as stated in the petition.) or Citreon (sic) C1, a tax class B car, pays just £20 a year, producing 139gm of Co2… whereas currently the cost for road tax for a Honda VFR, over 600cc is: £78.00 for 12 months and £42.90 for 6 months.
However according to a September 2008 motorcycle test programme evaluating motorcycle emissions performance, based on the world harmonized World Motorcycle Test Cycle (WMTC) and the Euro 3 Test Cycle the CO 2 test results (g/km) were that a Honda VFR 800 emits:
Euro3 – 158.8
WMTC – 131.9
Therefore a Honda VFR 800 would have to pay, using the current CO2 rates of vehicle tax for already registered cars either:
Band G – CO2 emission (g/km) 151 to 165
12 months – £175.00
6 months – £96.25
Band E – CO2 emission (g/km) 131 to 140
12 months – £125.00
6 months – £68.75
Although some bikes may pay less you need to be careful what you wish for!
Emission testing for motorcycles is not part of our MoT (yet) – extra cost on the MoT.
Emissions banding like cars would probably only be applicable to new vehicles after a certain date – older motorcycles would still be rated on engine size – manufacturers have until 2016 to publish their emission levels – so that government has the necessary emissions levels, based on type approval regulations, that they could base motorcycle tax on emissions.”
Inline With Cars – Click Here
Government Response
The Government has responded thus, “As this e-petition has received more than 10 000 signatures, the relevant Government department have provided the following response:
The decisions of successive Governments have resulted in VED being structured according to vehicle type and registration date with VED contributing to general taxation revenues. Cars registered before March 2001 are taxed according to engine size, and those registered from March 2001 onwards taxed according to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
Unlike for cars, the European Union has not yet established a design type approval test for motorbikes that requires CO2 data to be produced for each model variant. The current scheme for motorbike manufacturers is voluntary and so does not offer a complete dataset for all motorbikes in production. The Government is therefore not in a position to treat motorbikes on a CO2 emissions basis for VED. The current engine capacity based rates offer the most practical and easy-to-understand way to reflect the respective emissions levels of motorbikes.
The majority of motorcycle owners, in fact, pay rates lower than the top VED rate of £78. A third of motorcyclists pay the lowest VED rate applicable to motorcycles, i.e. of £17. The Government believes that healthy public finances are essential for future growth and jobs. The UK is still faced with the serious and unavoidable economic challenge of tackling the debts inherited from the previous Government. Despite this challenge, under this Government, VED rate increases for cars, vans and motorcycles are limited to inflation only, meaning that a motorist’s VED liability remains unchanged in real terms since 2010.
This e-petition remains open to signatures and will be considered for debate by the Backbench Business Committee should it pass the 100 000 signature threshold”
E-petition – Government Response – Click Here
Government Spot On
At Right To Ride we can say that the government have got this spot on.
Why would we sign a petition that would have us paying up to £175.00 for 12 months tax or £96.25 for 6 months tax when at present for the largest motorcycle we pay at present £78.00 for 12 months and £42.90 for 6 months?
As regards, “the European Union has not yet established a design type approval test for motorbikes that requires CO2 data to be produced for each model variant.”
Well as previously mentioned this is heading our way so if there is a want in Government to change the system for motorcycles, let’s hope it is more reasonable structured system specifically for bikes and not based on cars and government don’t see it as a way of increasing VED for motorcycles, as what eventually works out in the example in the petition.
Perhaps online petitions should have an “unsigning” petition button!
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