tax disc "tax type"?

[Zed]

So applying for my tax disc: why does my tax type say "bicycle"?

It clearly says Piaggio Liberty 124cc, but the bicycle bit confuses me, is it wrong, or are all scooters like this?

[StevenM]

My 500 tmax says bicycle too weird. Does this mean we can go in cycle lanes?

[ridinhigh]

its same on any motorbike, i think its because they have two wheels

[Bluebottle]

Yup, tax class is bicycle
It is your body type that should be "scooter" but that only appears on your V5 not your tax disc

Bicycle means 2 wheels, in recent times it has been applied to pedal cycles as if it were an exclusive term.
Part of the tax class criteria is numbers of axles and wheels thereon so that is the bit they are interested in.

[Zed]

Yup, tax class is bicycle
It is your body type that should be "scooter" but that only appears on your V5 not your tax disc

Bicycle means 2 wheels, in recent times it has been applied to pedal cycles as if it were an exclusive term.
Part of the tax class criteria is numbers of axles and wheels thereon so that is the bit they are interested in.

Ugh ok, cheers everyone.

I guess their system is from the 19th century or something before motorvehicles got invented, so they bunged everything with two wheels into an existing category, rather than invent a new one...

[StephenC]

This is what happens when a old country gradually evolves. Not like in new countries or after a revolution, where systems get designed from scratch for the modern (at the time, anyway) world. I rather like the quaintness of it myself, even if sometimes the limitations we have here are a pain in the 'arris.

Of course, judging by the way many riders behave with cycles lanes and ASL, you would think that they really do believe the tax status means more than it really does.

[Zed]

the tax status means more than it really does.

I did wonder if this means i can now go in bicycle lanes / thru red lights / on footpaths

[StephenC]

the tax status means more than it really does.

I did wonder if this means i can now go in bicycle lanes / thru red lights / on footpaths

Sure. Let me know how it goes. I'll watch out for your court appearance.

[Bluebottle]

so they bunged everything with two wheels into an existing category, rather than invent a new one...

No, its much worse than that

A pedal bike is legally a carriage, that is why it can use the road and must have lights etc. but it falls outside the bicycle tax class by virtue of its weight and motive power.

The "Bicycle" tax class is to differentiate it from "Tricycle"
When I was a swivel swervy, if a solicitor confused a tax class with a vehicle definition I would have given him/her a pat on the head sent them home with a copy of the Road Traffic Act (as ammended).

As StephenC said, I'll look out for your court appearance
(I quite like the quaintness of it all too, maybe its a squirrel thing)