Jennifer's dad is a mechanic, which is why, though she is only 11, knows so much about bicycles. She can set gears, adjust brakes and knows which way caged bearings fit on axels and cranks.
So she seemed the right person to ask if cyclists should pay road taxes. She said they shouldn't because:
Cyclists don't damage roads and cause potholes which cost a lot to be fixed.
Cars give off nasty exhaust gases which spoil the atmosphere but cyclists will probably have to bear some of the costs of improving air quality. Cyclists just have to breathe the dirty air.
Cyclists don't keep the country poor by needing huge amounts of imported fuel.
Cyclists don't want to ride on the roads, but have t because there aren't many proper bike tracks. Just sploshes of green paint on the roads.
Cyclists don't run over car drivers. Car drivers run over cyclists. Cyclists shouldn't have to pay to be run over.
Ray Scobie, Matua.