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MCIA responds to tax figures
A report suggesting that 40 per cent of motorcyclists avoid vehicle excise duty (VED) has been deemed as "inaccurate" by the Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCIA).
The House of Commons committee of public accounts had suggested that there was a widespread problem with VED evasion, although the MCIA says the methodology behind the figures has "remained unchanged for decades".
Currently the Department for Transport uses roadside surveys to collect figures over VED evasion, which the MCIA says makes the incorrect assumption that the number of motorcyclists on the road - who by law should have motorbike insurance - matches that of general traffic.
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"The relative mileage methodology produces very wide ranges of statistical uncertainty," explained David Taylor, chief executive of the MCIA, who added that accuracy had been forgone in favour of "alarming, inaccurate and sensational headlines".
Mr Taylor also suggested that the latest survey shows tax-evading motorcyclists rose by less than one per cent from the previous year, which indicates the figure of 40 per cent is "wildly inaccurate, or they would surely be very easy to catch".
The MCIA is the trade association for the supply side of the UK Motorcycle industry, including providers of motorbike insurance.
Members are invited to be part of the association's mission statement - "To develop and sustain an environment whereby motorcycling can flourish".
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