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Road tax dodging bikers cause concern
A worryingly high percentage of motorcyclists are not paying road tax on their bikes, according to official figures, contributing to a general increase in evasion.
Statistics from the National Audit Office (NAO) show that the amount of revenue lost through road users not paying vehicle excise duty (VED) climbed from £147 million in 2005 to £217 million last year.
The problem of evasion would appear to be particularly high among motorbike users, with the proportion evading their road tax rising to an estimated 37 per cent in 2006, up from 30 per cent the year before.
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NAO head Sir John Bourn commented: "I was concerned last year that the significantly higher rates of VED evasion by motorcyclists might undermine confidence in the [Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority's] enforcement regime.
"My concern is even stronger this year, given the sharp jump in the evasion by motorcyclists and by motorists more generally."
With overall evasion now at five per cent, the NAO believes there is little chance of it being reduced to the target figure of 2.5 per cent by the end of 2007 and has urged the Department for Transport to work closely with the Home Office to resolve the problem.
This is a second major blow to the government's pro-motorcycling stance in a matter of weeks, following the recent release of figures showing that the number of riders killed on Britain's roads also rose last year.
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