Icelandic motorcycling association BLS is against a proposal to introduce road pricing. Fuel tax will be removed and instead a tax per kilometer will be implemented on all insured vehicles. This will financially disadvantage motorcyclists. BLS therefore calls on the Icelandic government to start talking with motorcyclists, and not just about them.

BLS´s arguments against the proposed charging of motorcycles per kilometer fee

• 4,15 ISK (Icelandic króna) per kilometer for motorcycles is far from being in reasonable proportion to the road wear and tear they cause.
• Motorcyclists consider it a reasonable demand that the per kilometer fee should be calculated in accurate proportion to passenger cars and trucks, as the wear and tear that motorcycles cause to the road system is much less.
• Trucks pay more, which means that motorcycles should pay proportionally much less.
• Motorcycles are not driven during the hard winter months, so no studded tires.
• Motorcycles are more likely to be ridden on less-traveled roads.
• Motorcycles are far more likely to be driven for recreation rather than daily commuting.
• The proposed percentage is too high, considering the lack of consideration given to motorcycles in road design and maintenance.
• The proposed percentage is also baseless in relation to the pollution/emissions they cause.
• The proportion of motorcycle use and wear on roads is insignificant, and therefore, in no way justifies charging a km fee for their use.
• The condition of the roads and their environment is not acceptable for motorcycles; the physics are different from other vehicles, and holes, loose gravel, bitumen bleeding, etc., are far more likely to cause danger to motorcycle riders.
• The proposed plan is meant to lower gas/oil prices and we do not believe that will be the result.
• BLS is a member of FEMA, and according to other member organisations, attempts have been made to introduce a kilometer fee in more than one country and have failed, among other things, on privacy grounds (Finland for example).
• The cost of implementing the proposed plan outweighs its anticipated benefits in our opinion.
• We can safely assume that a person who owns and drives a motorcycle also owns and drives a car, we can therefore also assume that a per kilometer tax will be collected from that person on that car and that those taxes will for example go toward snow removal, road markings, etc.
• The proposed taxation as it stands today is directly making the use of motorcycles a less desirable option than otherwise, which is contrary to the environmental policy of the authorities.
• Finally, motorcyclists would like to call on the government, road managers, contractors and other stakeholders to offer motorcyclists a seat at the table when discussing our interests/concerns. Motorcyclists have a real voice, the group is a very diverse group of voters who have strong opinions regarding their own safety.

Written by Kristrún Tryggvadóttir

Top photograph courtesy of BLS

This article is subject to FEMA’s copyright