Approximately half of all motorcycles in NZ are rego exempt or rego expired right now

[pritch]

When the problem of motorcyclists owning more than one bike, but only being able to ride one at a time, was originally pointed out the official response was that any modiification to the plan would not meet the budget. Basically, it seems thay had a total figure in mind and had divided that figure by the number of registered bikes.

Since that plan doesn't seem to be working too well, their obvious solution would be a 100% increase in the ACC levy.

[5150]

Since that plan doesn't seem to be working too well, their obvious solution would be a 100% increase in the ACC levy.

I could see the total number of registered bikes going from 50% to 5%

[Asher]

To me there a few obvious solutions to this issue are:
Every vehicle must pay road user charges so you are not paying for a vehicle you hardly use and the more kms you clock up the more you pay. Only downside is it's easy to stop your odo.

Add the ACC levy to fuel. So again if you rarely use a vehicle you don't pay much and vice versa. It's also very hard to cheat and is an incentive to buy newer fuel economic vehicles.

Or you simply pay for the most 'at risk' vehicle and an admin fee for every subsequent vehicle. So I would pay the current fee for a 601cc+ bike and my car would only cost ~$30. I think some Ozzie states use this.

[caspernz]

To me there a few obvious solutions to this issue are:
Every vehicle must pay road user charges so you are not paying for a vehicle you hardly use and the more kms you clock up the more you pay. Only downside is it's easy to stop your odo.

Add the ACC levy to fuel. So again if you rarely use a vehicle you don't pay much and vice versa. It's also very hard to cheat and is an incentive to buy newer fuel economic vehicles.

Or you simply pay for the most 'at risk' vehicle and an admin fee for every subsequent vehicle. So I would pay the current fee for a 601cc+ bike and my car would only cost ~$30. I think some Ozzie states use this.

The fuel levy approach has merit on several levels. ACC and RUCs can be run thru fuel levy, but then you create an instant black market for fuel. Think of Europe where you have transport and commercial diesel for instance, many a truck has been found doing highway running on untaxed farm diesel (colour different).

I do like this approach, but as with any system there needs to be a tangible penalty for those who choose to flout the rules. Think vehicle confiscation for example

[Moi]

If you are using your bike every day as a commuter then paying the full amount is appropriate.

It's the second and/or third or more bikes that are the true issue, and as pritch has noted the officials don't seem to be able to deal with that issue or want to deal with it.

What if there was an intermediate step between the present 'on-hold' and full ACC levy structure? A situation which allowed you to have the bike licenced for minimal cost - licence fee plus safety levy plus admin plus GST - and when you wanted to use the bike you went online to 'buy' levy for those days only at a rate of 1/365th of the full levy for that bike times the number of days you want to use it for?

And as has been said before, there has to be a tangible deterrent to those who wish to flout the rules - impounding of vehicle and return on full payment of all levies owing? If ACC does come to the party on something like this - I don't see NZTA as the ones who are causing this issue - then we too need to be prepared to play by the rules.

As an aside:
I believe that if your ride is unlicenced and you ride in country areas and smaller centres you are more likely to get away with it than those who ride metropolitan and larger centres where the dreaded parking warden is likely to see your parked ride has no "licence label displayed"... believe parking wardens should only deal with parking issues, like those who park on yellow lines, or on footpaths or across driveways...

[RDJ]

As an aside:
I believe that if your ride is unlicenced and you ride in country areas and smaller centres you are more likely to get away with it than those who ride metropolitan and larger centres where the dreaded parking warden is likely to see your parked ride has no "licence label displayed"... believe parking wardens should only deal with parking issues, like those who park on yellow lines, or on footpaths or across driveways...

Agree, I just can't see councils giving up the power to raise money by going after the grey area of non-parking issues.the easiest thing to spend in the world is other people's money... Which is why so many troughers gonna trough, whether a national or local bully oops body politicians, NGOs' and quangos' 'employees', even so-called charities...

[Gremlin]

I could see the total number of registered bikes going from 50% to 5%

You, I, and every other sane person with half a brain can see it... but the officials can't.

What if there was an intermediate step between the present 'on-hold' and full ACC levy structure? A situation which allowed you to have the bike licenced for minimal cost - licence fee plus safety levy plus admin plus GST - and when you wanted to use the bike you went online to 'buy' levy for those days only at a rate of 1/365th of the full levy for that bike times the number of days you want to use it for?

Quite simply officialdom doesn't want that. Continuous vehicle licensing means that it's every day.

[awa355]

As an aside:
I believe that if your ride is unlicenced and you ride in country areas and smaller centres you are more likely to get away with it than those who ride metropolitan and larger centres where the dreaded parking warden is likely to see your parked ride has no "licence label displayed"... believe parking wardens should only deal with parking issues, like those who park on yellow lines, or on footpaths or across driveways...

Agreed. I would never ride in Hamilton without a current rego sticker but I could probably ride the Waitomo/King country roads (apart from highways) every day and never pass a cop. If I did see one, chances are he's on a mission anyway. In fact, I can not ever recall seeing a police car off the beaten track. One of the beauty's of having hour on hour of corners, views, hills, etc on my back doorstep.

[5150]

Agreed. I would never ride in Hamilton without a current rego sticker but I could probably ride the Waitomo/King country roads (apart from highways) every day and never pass a cop. If I did see one, chances are he's on a mission anyway. In fact, I can not ever recall seeing a police car off the beaten track. One of the beauty's of having hour on hour of corners, views, hills, etc on my back doorstep.

That's what I like about my ADV bike. Places I go to are hardly roads. And only time I will use a public or main road is to get to those places..... Chances of seeing a cop there are about as high as winning Lotto

[Moi]

I don't see the issue as being the cost of licencing a vehicle, in this case a motorbike, which is the domain of NZTA.

I see the issue being the ACC levy that is attached to the licence by ACC who are using NZTA's licencing process as a method for gathering their levy - same as ACC uses IRD to gather levies through income tax payments.

So, I don't see NZTA being the "baddie" in this issue, if anything they are an innocent party who have a mechanism to collect licence fees that is also used by ACC to collect their levy.

It is the levy that appears, in my opinion, to be the problem for those who have two or more bikes.

Don't need to change the licencing process as that is not broken, what needs addressing is the application of the ACC levy to each and every licence so if a bike is used occasionally then the owner does not feel as if they are being ripped off but are paying their fair share.

[Welly-Ray]

Don't need to change the licencing process as that is not broken, what needs addressing is the application of the ACC levy to each and every licence so if a bike is used occasionally then the owner does not feel as if they are being ripped off but are paying their fair share.

It's not rocket science to set up a fair system to collect reasonable amount of ACC Levy from motorcyclists.

I wonder how long will it take for government to realise it. Or they are simply enjoying the overpaid levies.

[TheDemonLord]

It's not rocket science to set up a fair system to collect reasonable amount of ACC Levy from motorcyclists.

I wonder how long will it take for government to realise it. Or they are simply enjoying the overpaid levies.

You are right - Rocket Science is far simpler....

[RDJ]

They are simply enjoying the overpaid levies.

You nailed it with this.

[danchop]

I don't see the issue as being the cost of licencing a vehicle, in this case a motorbike, which is the domain of NZTA.

I see the issue being the ACC levy that is attached to the licence by ACC who are using NZTA's licencing process as a method for gathering their levy - same as ACC uses IRD to gather levies through income tax payments.

So, I don't see NZTA being the "baddie" in this issue, if anything they are an innocent party who have a mechanism to collect licence fees that is also used by ACC to collect their levy.

It is the levy that appears, in my opinion, to be the problem for those who have two or more bikes.

Don't need to change the licencing process as that is not broken, what needs addressing is the application of the ACC levy to each and every licence so if a bike is used occasionally then the owner does not feel as if they are being ripped off but are paying their fair share.

there is one form of acc levy collection that they can only ASK that you pay,not force you ie:vehicle licence unpaid=fines etc,wages=automatic deductions,fuel=its in the price at the pump.
only self employed people like myself can take advantage of this,and it does affect your credit rating a tad,so very few will take advantage of my acc saving plan,but it works for me.
theres one trait in the French that I actually admire,and that is if they feel theyre being ripped off by their government in any way,they do something about it.
I loathe the current acc department,they rip off motorcyclists,self employed people,anyone nearing 50 by way of their "degenerative" medical term to avoid liability,and yet they still continue to pay out to manipulative losers that have been on their system for years,tourists,new immigrants who have contributed sfa to any taxes,etc etc
for the last 4 years,soon to be 5 ive refused to pay acc levies on my income and theres fuck all they've done or can do about it.

[Banditbandit]

theres one trait in the French that I actually admire,and that is if they feel theyre being ripped off by their government in any way,they do something about it.

People in Godzone feel ripped off by the Govermment all the time - but they vote according to "I trust him" ... "He will be good for the country" ...

It doesn't matter what shit teflon John and his Government get up to - people still trust the prick ..