Cyclists don't pay for roads, why should they be given free infrastructure

A common misconception held by many people is that roads are paid for by “Road Tax.” Interestingly, road tax was abolished in 1937 and its abolishment was set in motion by Winston Churchill1, who stated before the abolishment of the road fund license,

“Entertainments may be taxed; public houses may be taxed; racehorses may be taxed…and the yield devoted to the general revenue. But motorists are to be privileged for all time to have the whole yield of the tax on motors devoted to roads. Obviously this is all nonsense…Such contentions are absurd, and constitute…an outrage upon the sovereignty of Parliament and upon common sense.”

Since 1937, roads and their upkeep have been paid for by general taxation, generally in the case of major roads, and council tax, generally in the case of smaller roads, council tax. Everyone who pays tax pays for the roads, in the same manner as other publicly funded amenities such as schools, libraries and hospitals, regardless of whether or not they own a car. Whilst a person may elect to pay more taxes through the owning and maintaining of a car, it does not follow that this gives them any more or less right to use the road, just as it does not give them any more or less right to use hospitals, libraries and schools, despite these things also being funded through taxation.

1 I Pay Road Tax