Letters: Proven benefits to cycling

Regular cycling has been unequivocally proven internationally to significantly improve people's mental and physical health. Photo/File

In the world of urban design the argument for taxing cyclists as proposed by Alf Hoyle (Letters, May 23) is a well-worn chestnut that periodically arises, revealing what is in my view a general ignorance about the well-proven benefits of cycling.

Regular cycling has been unequivocally proven internationally to significantly improve people's mental and physical health, productivity, and almost any other measure of social and personal health you can think of.

It is the overwhelming evidence of such benefits that has led the central government to subsidise and encourage councils nationwide to encourage more, safer cycling via new cycleways such as that we are seeing in Rotorua.

Alf should also remember that most of the roading budget comes not from fuel tax but from income tax and GST, and therefore it could be argued that regular cyclists should deserve a tax break to reflect the positives they bring to a community at negligible cost.

This will never happen of course, but it serves to highlight that if Alf is truly seeking "fairness" he should be careful what he wishes for.

- Jonathan Dodd, Rotorua

Cycle tax

As a reply to Alf Hoyle's letter calling for cyclists to pay a cycle tax and registration, maybe we should also include pedestrians and old people with their mobility buggies. Best not forget the skateboarders and kiddie trikes too.

Get serious!

The more people cycling rather than driving cars the better for everyone.

Every person cycling is one less car to congest our roads and pollute our air. We should be begging people to cycle rather than drive. Maybe even give them a cash incentive.

- David Carman, Rotorua

Paying for water

I would like to wholeheartedly support Anita Stanley's letter (May 22) regarding metered water.

Getting everyone on meters eventually saves water, the most precious of our daily needs, try living in a country where this isn't the case.

Currently some folk who have unlimited water waste it (like leaving their garden sprinklers on for hours). This way people will be mindful of what they use. Collecting rain water in water butts from downpipes could be subsidised among other savings.

- Anne Foale, Rotorua