Letter: Transport - Cyclists should pay their way

Sadly commonsense is a virtue lacking in our local authorities’ plans for a ‘Green Revolution’. HBC’s and NYCC’s obsession with cycling has been a major cause of the destruction of the Stray.

The proposal to create cycle-ways will be of very limited benefit to the vast majority of Harrogate’s population.

When, dear reader, did you ever see a cyclist, laden with a week’s shopping, making their way back from Sainsbury’s et al?

Trees will have to be felled or pavements narrowed to allow for the provision of the cycle lanes.

It is bad enough when pedestrians are jeopardised by thoughtless cyclists on our existing footpaths.

Is it not about time that cyclists were required to subscribe to tax revenue in order to pay for their, at present, freebies?

Talking of tax revenue: where will the huge sums of money come from when diesel/petrol cars are replaced by, at present, tax-exempt, electric substitutes?

Large swathes of Britain’s roads are in a disgraceful state of repair. Any loss of vehicle tax will result in a huge shortfall in the resources required to maintain our roads.

Cyclists and electric vehicle owners, get ready to put your hands in your pockets! Green schemes. Laudable, even praiseworthy, but let us have a bit of common sense.

Tim Walls

Harrogate