…this is wrong.
From the 2020 vision blog. By the way, the UKIP is the ‘United Kingdom Independence Party’:
The local Cambridge Cycling Campaign sent out a questionnaire to the local election candidates asking about their views on a selection of key cycle infrastructure/culture issues. Many did not bother to reply, of those that did, most were ‘political answers’, but the UKIP’s Peter Burkinshaw sums up White Van Man culture of the UK;
Q. Do you have any other general cycling-related comments or points?
A. “Provision for cyclists is already adequate. Please remember that motorists are the people who pay to use the roads whereas cyclists are “freeloaders”. They are entitled to use the roads but not disproportionately”.
“If everyone cycled, as you suggest, there would be no roads to ride on”.
Wow. Narrow, patronising, and based on complete twaddle from the frst sentence.
If motorists had to deal with roads that suddenly became narrower, went via a roundabout route, avoided where you wanted to go, were dangerous to use, or just stopped for no apparent reason, they would hardly call those “adequate”.
Motorists in the UK pay Vehicle Excise Duty, not road tax: The revenues go into the general government budget and are used as the government sees fit: roads are paid for out of the general public purse, which is funded by all taxes. So much for freeloading.
What is ‘disproportionate’ use of roads? Speeding? Congestion?
If everyone cycled, roads would last longer, be cleaner and more open and those who need to drive like emergency vehicles would be able to get where they need to go faster.
And I haven’t even started on indirect and healthcare costs.
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June 3, 2009 at 7:42 am
anna
I absolutely love “If everyone cycled, as you suggest, there would be no roads to ride on.” Don’t they know that road construction was already invented by the romans, i.e. ages before the first car, even before the first bicycle, was even thought of? Do we all of a sudden forget how to build roads when we don’t drive a car anymore? In most countries car users don’t pay for roads anyway, and if though only for motorways which cyclists don’t use…
June 3, 2009 at 10:37 am
Nick
And to think that some people are going to vote for these idiots (who apparently want to become members of the European Parliament because they disapprove of the UK being members of the European Union – go figure!). Sometimes I despair.
June 3, 2009 at 11:25 am
Groover
Sad, very sad! This ignorant train of thought then gets picked up and mindlessly repeated by less intellegent people, who don’t think on their own feed but are quick to blame others for their problems, e.g. blame cyclists for slowing down traffic.
June 3, 2009 at 7:47 pm
spiderleggreen
Your point on “adequate” is right on. If drivers had to put up with the nonsensical routes bikers have, there would be a revolt. And bozo’s like the ones who answered the questions, would be run out of town. Let’s just keep chipping away at it, though. Find the people who are on the fence and bring them into to fold. Create a constituency and change will happen.
June 4, 2009 at 3:40 am
sexify
Regrettably ‘road tax’, although abolished in the UK almost 90 years ago (yes, nine oh years), is the misleading term kept in perpetuation by the pro-car lobby.
The actual tax is a Vehicle Excise Duty. An excise duty is basically a tax on stuff that’s bad for you. As such it might be more accurate to call it a ‘pollution, noise, road danger, obesity and heart disease tax’, no?
June 5, 2009 at 10:05 am
Matt Polaine
UPDATE:
There has now been a reponse of 44% (3rd June)but not all those who responded answered all the questions.
View the Q&A here: http://www.camcycle.org.uk/elections/2009junecounty/