WilDDog Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 I've just come across a sign that said "Caution Cycle races in progress" or something along those lines. How come cyclists can hold races on a public road, wouldn't that be classed as dangerous or something in this day and age? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
=^..^= Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 Put it back - or the police will be after ya.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 I've just come across a sign that said "Caution Cycle races in progress" or something along those lines. How come cyclists can hold races on a public road, wouldn't that be classed as dangerous or something in this day and age? no worse when there out practising 4-8 at a time and riding side by side so thay dont feel all alone, plonkers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 the Manx definition of a public road is a publicly maintained facility for the private enjoyment of a restricted group - guess we are lucky this time that the tax payers are allowed access to the facility Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thesultanofsheight Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 the Manx definition of a public road is a publicly maintained facility for the private enjoyment of a restricted group I've got nothing against cycling personally but I can see where your going with this. I often wonder what my road tax pays for - it ain't to improve my pot-holed twenty minutes longer than it needs to be journey to work. The only decent roads we have seem to be used for things other than making your journey from A to B safe any enjoyable. Maybe if the TT is a failure this year road tax might actually be spent on improving the roads that normal people use to do normal things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilDDog Posted May 22, 2008 Author Share Posted May 22, 2008 the Manx definition of a public road is a publicly maintained facility for the private enjoyment of a restricted group - guess we are lucky this time that the tax payers are allowed access to the facility I'm not having a go at cyclists Frances, but motorcycle and car groups are taxpayers and they're not allowed to race on open public roads. What would happen if someone is approaching a junction driving a wagon, car, or riding a motorcycle and one of the marshals holds his hand up to stop the vehicles because a group of cyclists are racing to take a junction at speed. If anything were to happen who is to blame? Just for an example, if a vehicle doesn't stop and takes a cyclist out or a cyclist hits a vehicle, damages the vehicle and takes him/herself out. I'm sure that the only people who are authorised to stop or direct traffic are police officers, so if this is the case would the marshal who held his hand up be liable if something happened? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Jampton Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 Road Tax we pay, is just another attempt at taxing us. It means we can own a car/bike and run it on the public road. The money goes to The Treasury via HM C&E, not the DoT. The same as VAT on a bicycle does. Road Tax at one time only took money off toffs, now we all pay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilDDog Posted May 22, 2008 Author Share Posted May 22, 2008 Maybe if the TT is a failure this year road tax might actually be spent on improving the roads that normal people use to do normal things. I doubt that, I'm sure another so called capital scheme somewhere would take priority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thesultanofsheight Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 Thats not strictly true. Notionally at least road tax goes to offset the road budget. Why else would it be called "road tax"? We don't have a general "Piss it away on anything we feel like " tax. Budgets are at least notionally allocated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinkydevil Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 I'm not having a go at cyclists Frances, but motorcycle and car groups are taxpayers and they're not allowed to race on open public roads.What would happen if someone is approaching a junction driving a wagon, car, or riding a motorcycle and one of the marshals holds his hand up to stop the vehicles because a group of cyclists are racing to take a junction at speed. If anything were to happen who is to blame? Just for an example, if a vehicle doesn't stop and takes a cyclist out or a cyclist hits a vehicle, damages the vehicle and takes him/herself out. I'm sure that the only people who are authorised to stop or direct traffic are police officers, so if this is the case would the marshal who held his hand up be liable if something happened? When I used to ride for the Manx Road Club and do the Mountain Time Trial it was always on open roads. We'd start outside St.Ninians and an extra section would be laid on near the Ginger Hall in Sulby to make up the distance from the Grandstand. The only junctions you would then be waved through would be Ballacraine, Parliament Square and Governors Bridge. It was always done by a Policeman. Marshalls were just on hand as an extra pair of eyes. In fact all Time Trials I did were on open roads, for example the Bishopscourt 10m TT. Cycle race signs were put out but of course as it's a TT against the clock we were riding on our own at 3-4 minute intervals. It was just a warning that cyclists were using that road. During International Cycling week Kermesse races, like the Ramsey, Peel or Douiglas Kermesse are held on short circuits with the roads closed. For the main race of the week (3 laps of the mountain course) the roads were closed, but crossing points and junctions were in use until the riders came through. I've seen for longer open races that run over a 100 miles for instance, Police outriders, support cars which keep a rolling road block for the main Peloton. What you saw was probably a TT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 the Manx definition of a public road is a publicly maintained facility for the private enjoyment of a restricted group - guess we are lucky this time that the tax payers are allowed access to the facility I'm not having a go at cyclists Frances, but motorcycle and car groups are taxpayers and they're not allowed to race on open public roads. What would happen if someone is approaching a junction driving a wagon, car, or riding a motorcycle and one of the marshals holds his hand up to stop the vehicles because a group of cyclists are racing to take a junction at speed. If anything were to happen who is to blame? Just for an example, if a vehicle doesn't stop and takes a cyclist out or a cyclist hits a vehicle, damages the vehicle and takes him/herself out. I'm sure that the only people who are authorised to stop or direct traffic are police officers, so if this is the case would the marshal who held his hand up be liable if something happened? in this day and age the person holding the traffic up is to blame, unless thay have signed permission from the police, so yes the marshal could be held liable if such person wanted to sue them, i know when we been putting bales out on the southen 100 course we allways used to stop and sign traffic on, because we would be stopped round blind corners, makes it safer for everyone, got told that if anything happined that the person directing traffic could be held liable by the ppl, so were told no to do it no more we tried it for 15 mins with no one helping the traffic, after the 6th near miss we decided that it was prob best to sign the traffic on, the worlds gone mad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ai_Droid Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 The reasoning is flawed if you're trying to draw a parallel to the TT. TT bikes aren't road legal, cycles are. Cycles won't be breaking any laws or speed limits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevster Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Thats not strictly true. Notionally at least road tax goes to offset the road budget. Why else would it be called "road tax"? We don't have a general "Piss it away on anything we feel like " tax. Budgets are at least notionally allocated. It's not called 'Road Tax', it's 'Vehicle Excise Duty' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombay Bad Boy Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Even the DVLA refer to it as Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevster Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Even the DVLA refer to it as Wikepedia..... Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) is a British excise duty, which has to be paid to acquire a vehicle licence for most types of motor vehicle. A vehicle licence is usually required if a vehicle is to be legally used on the public roads. The tax, rarely if ever known by its formal title, and most commonly known as the road tax, is not hypothecated for spending on roads, the entire proceeds contributing to central government revenues. Before 1936, and still used to this day in informal everyday use, the licence was known as the road fund licence, and the proceeds went into the Government's road fund, and used entirely for road expenditure. The tax is collected and enforced by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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