Latvian bikers to rally by Saeima building on November 30

The Motorcycle Club Association of Latvia will hold a rally by the Saeima building next Monday, November 30, when around 100 bikers will express their disagreement with the planned hike in the annual duty for motor vehicles.

President of the Motorcycle Club Association Aivars Freimanis explained in an interview with LETA that the bikers have no objections against tax increases as such, but that they find the planned hike of the annual duty for motorcycles from LVL 3 to LVL 50 disproportionate.



"We want the duty to be at least limited to a sensible amount of money, harmonized with the duty for passenger cars. It is against the logic that the duty for a car, which weighs half a ton, is LVL 24, while for a motorcycle, that weighs around 200 kilos, it is LVL 50," Freimanis said.



Motorcycle owners suggest the annual duty for motorcycles to make half of the planned duty for passenger cars, or LVL 12.



Freimanis informed that in case Saeima does not listen to bikers' objections, they will turn to other institutions, for example, the European Court of Justice.



"There is a huge interest about the rally. As it is autumn now, the number of participants is likely to be smaller than if the event was to take place in summer; still we expect around 100 bikers to attend," Freimanis informed, adding that most participants will leave their vehicles at home, but some may arrive on bikes.



Bikers from Lithuania and Estonia have expressed their support for motorcycle owners in Latvia.



The rally organized by the Motorcycle Club Association will start by the Saeima building at 1 p.m.



Saeima approved raising the annual duty on motor vehicles in the first reading yesterday.



The annual duty on motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles will be raised to LVL 50 (from LVL 3), while passenger car owners will have to pay the duty depending on the weight of the vehicle. Owners of cars weighing of up to 1,500 kilograms will have to pay LVL 24 annual duty (LVL 12 up until now), while cars of over 3,500 kilograms will be taxed LVL 150 per year, compared with LVL 78 duty at the moment.


Source:baltic-course.com