Brazilians have a lot of work to do if they want to become one of the world’s best countries. For starters, there’s a lot of corrupted people just waiting around the corner to act against the system. But luckily, there’s a plug-in that helps users to spot who the corrupted ones are. Then, there’s president Jair Bolsonaro, who is kind of responsible for the bad things that happen to transgender people in Brazil. But the worst is yet to come. Did you know that one of the healthiest activities is heavily taxed here? Yep, we’re talking about taking a ride on a bike.
If you weren’t aware of that, now you are. And while we’re at it, let us tell you that Brazilians have to pay up to 70% taxes when they own a bike. This is why bikes are considered a luxury in the country. The most part of the population can’t afford them, and not because of the price but because of the high taxes that come along with it. Luckily, advertising agency Talent Marcel and Bicycling magazine enter the scene with an idea that might just do the trick. And trick the system! Dear readers, meet the “Outlaw Bike”! This unique vehicle turns into something else just to avoid those insanely high Brazilian taxes. So, how does this tool work?
It’s time to disassemble bike taxes in Brazil. How? You just don’t buy a bike. You go and shop for a nice piece of furniture. Not just any furniture, but one that can morph into something else. Into a working bike, to be precise. As furniture, Brazilians have to pay only 12% taxes for it. So why not to abuse this fact? Instead of buying a bicycle, Brazilian citizens can shop for a piece of furniture and transform it—when they need—into a stylish bike. How cool is this, might you ask? Well, it’s definitely a clever idea. Although, it’s a pity that it is currently only a prototype so you can’t actually buy it. But, at least, the Outlaw Bike highlights the high tax burdens.
To promote the idea, the agency created a dedicated website—www.bikeclandestina.com.br—which people can use to find out more about the tax issues and the project. Here, visitors can discover how to assemble the bike depending on their mood: either as an armchair, paying up to 12% taxes, or a bike, which means that they have enough money to pay 70% taxes.
“Many people complain about the prices of bicycles, but few know that up to 70% of the price is actually taxes. We wanted to reveal this information in an interesting manner, so we decided to create a symbol, the “Outlaw Bike,” explains the tricky situation Sergio Takahata, creative from Talent Marcel.
For Denis Cardoso, owner of Cardoso Cycles, who was responsible for the bike’s design, Talent Marcel’s invitation to be part of the project was a big honor: “To meet the demand of two such different features for the same object was in itself, innovating. Besides this, to adjust the bicycle parts that already exist in the market to this frame made out of wood, a material that’s new but more and more present in the production of bicycles, was a great challenge. That is to say, creating a product with a higher purpose, quality in raw material, innovative design and functionality, was, in fact, a consolidation of my work.”
Most of countries encourage the idea of riding a bike. But not Brazil.
So, dear South-American country,
If you were to reduce your taxes and invite your population to use bikes instead of cars, your environment will take a sip of fresh air. Around 1 million tons of emissions of CO2 will be reduced if you choose to empower your citizens into using a bike. But then again, it’s up to you…