MPs apologise to bikers!!!

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Thu 28 Feb 2008 16:07
MPs apologise to bikers!!! - martint123
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7268854.stm

The influential Commons Public Accounts Committee of MPs has apologised to motorcyclists after wrongly suggesting 40% of motorbikes were untaxed.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh blamed the error in last month's report on the Department of Transport, saying it now estimated the figure at 9.8%.

At the time he accused motorcyclists of "cocking a snook at the law".


Edited by Pugugly. on 28/02/2008 at 18:30

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Thu 28 Feb 2008 18:31
MPs apologise to bikers!!! - Pugugly.
Damage has now been done - this won't be as widely reported for sure.
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Thu 28 Feb 2008 19:16
MPs apologise to bikers!!! - Waino
Most of these 'untaxed' bikers will be folks like myself who went down to re-tax their bike, found the new discs hadn't arrived at the post office, put the forms back on the shelf ..... and then promptly forgot about it. The bike wasn't untaxed and 'out on the road' it was untaxed and 'sitting in my garage for the winter'! I got a £40 fine and became an outlaw and a statistic as a result this heinous crime.
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Thu 28 Feb 2008 19:24
MPs apologise to bikers!!! - Pugugly
I have a leather jacket and some "Born to be Wild" stickers for you to complete the image !
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Thu 28 Feb 2008 21:41
MPs apologise to bikers!!! - boxsterboy
Makes you wonder what the true figure for cars evading tax is?
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Thu 28 Feb 2008 21:46
MPs apologise to bikers!!! - Waino
I have a leather jacket and some "Born to be Wild" stickers for you to complete the image !>>


SWMBO says they would have thrown me in jail - but for the fact that the jails were already full! I now realise my mistake - the bike was registered, insured and MoT'd - so I'd left a clear and easy trail for them to follow and send me the fine. If I'd not bothered with these things, they'd never have tracked me down!

I find it all rather depressing! Victor Meldrew, move over!

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Thu 28 Feb 2008 21:53
MPs apologise to bikers!!! - Pugugly
I was fined by a well known financial institution recently for an oversight of mine. I sent them a very stern Victorish letter, which was the most enjoyable £30.00 quids worth I've had in a long term. Foolishly the minion that wrote it gave his name. I've yet to have a reply but I guess he's having difficulty with some of the Latin or perhaps thinking he's mistranslated some of the more "interesting" anatomical terms.
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Fri 29 Feb 2008 15:36
MPs apologise to bikers!!! - martint123
Makes you wonder what the true figure for cars evading tax is?

Fairly accurate at a guess.

There were thre problems with the bike figures it seems.

Car figures from automatic ANPR sites.

Bikes no good at ANPR due to no front number plates. So - staff write the number down.

(1) Possible typographic error = can't find = not taxed.

(2) The check of the registration number against the database was made many months after the observation and the check was again the current status of the bike. So could be observed in summer and checked in winter when many bikes are laid up = shows as untaxed.

(3) they apply a "multiplier" to take account of the fact that that more motorcycles are likely to be on the road at weekends and not when the observers are "observing".
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