Reply from ePetition Motorcyle Tax

Just received this in reply to signing to scrap Bike Road Tax. Is this reply basically saying, ‘We’re ignoring you’? Make your own mind up.

Vehicle Excise Duty (as colloquially known as road tax) for motorbikes was reformed in 2002, retaining the engine capacity based banding system, but introducing further segregation between engine capacities. This reform followed a consultation that took in the views of some 12,500 respondents. Unlike for cars, the European Union (EU) has not established a type certification regime for motorbikes that requires CO2 emissions data to be produced.

The Government is therefore not in a position to treat motorbikes for VED on a CO2 emissions basis, and the current engine capacity based rates therefore offer the best practical, and easy to understand way to reflect the respective emissions levels of different motorbikes.

Consequently, there are four rates ranging from £15 for the smallest bikes, to £66 for the largest. These rates are reviewed on an annual basis as part of the Chancellor’s Budget process, and it should be noted that the rate for the smallest bikes has remained unchanged since the mid 1990’s, and the rates for the largest bikes has only increased by £6.

Motorcycles (Current rates) Tricycles (Current rates) Engine capacity Not over 150cc 151-400cc 401-600cc Over 600cc Engine capacity Not over 150cc All others Rate £15 £33 £48 £66 Rate £15 £66 The rates set out in the table above were announced in the autumn of 2007 as part of the Chancellor’s 2007 Pre-Budget Report.

The Chancellor’s 2008 Budget implemented these rates, with rates in future years to be further determined. Although motorbikes are a popular mode of transport, there is a far greater number of cars on the roads, and the Government judges that the drive to reduce emissions by influencing consumer choice is best focused on this segment of the market. That is why the Government has reduced the rate of Vehicle Excise Duty for the very lowest emissions cars to nil, in order to stimulate development of the low carbon car market.