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MCI disputes road tax dodge figures
The Motor Cycle Industry (MCI) has questioned the accuracy of government figures suggesting that a high proportion of bikers do not pay their road tax.
It was recently announced by the Department for Transport (DfT) that nearly two out of five motorcyclists did not pay their vehicle excise duty in 2006, even though another poll conducted by the department last year estimated the proportion as less than one in six.
MCI policy director Craig Carey-Clinch has now branded the DfT's latest figure as "ludicrous", telling Motor Cycle News that the discrepancy between its findings suggests that there may be some sort of flaw in its research procedure.
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He explained: "We've already called on the DfT at this time to review their methodology and the way they work.
"The work should be done by proper on the spot surveys and not some spurious computer modelling that comes up with unrealistic figures. We've put the point to the compartment and they've agreed to look at it, so we'll see what happens."
In response to this rising concern over rider road tax evasion, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority recently debated the possibility of electronic vehicle identification tags being fitted to license plates so as to help catch out law-breaking bikers.
This proposal has earned the scorn of the British Motorcyclists' Federation, which responded that the scheme would prove to be a colossal waste of money, as well as an abuse of the rights of honest riders.
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