Bike Parking in London (Westminster) £1.50 a day soon.
Discussion
From yesterday's Evening Standard:
From the summer, motorcyclists will have to pay £1.50 a day to park at the roadside - less than four per cent of the amount payable by car drivers - but there will be no extra charge for switching bays once payment is made. The income will fund improvements.
Riders will have to use Westminster's pay-by-phone system, although a range of other permit options are proposed.
All the council's motorcycle bays will also become no-go zones for other vehicles, which currently are allowed to use the outside their hours of operation.
Other planned improvements include the installation of more security devices to combat motorcycle theft, with nearly 50 U-shaped "Sheffield stands" on trial.
The council is also planning to boost the number of motorcycle spaces in its car parks.
Danny Chalkley, Westminster's cabinet member for transport and economic development, said: "We have listened to the views of motorcyclists and responded by creating extra spaces for them to park. Along with new security stands, we believe this will make parking in Westminster easier and more convenient for the hundreds of motorcyclists who drive in every day."
What utter cr@p! £1.50 a day could easily be £400 a year. They are planning to enforce these spaces 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That's before Islington council (where I live) decide to follow suit and I'm looking at £800 a year. FFS, it's an average of £100 a year for a residents permit for a car.
The argument of the charges paying for the "costs of extra security" is crap too. 50 Sheffield Stands at £44 a piece http://www.sekurabyk.com/pro_stand.html#1 will be recovered twice over in the first day alone! My fully comp insurance is less than £200 a year and they'll pay out if the bike gets nicked!
What can we do as bikers to fight this?
Motorcyclists to be charged £1.50 a day to use parking bays
WESTMINSTER: Hundreds of new motorcycle bays are to be installed in Westminster but riders will, for the first time, be charged for parking.From the summer, motorcyclists will have to pay £1.50 a day to park at the roadside - less than four per cent of the amount payable by car drivers - but there will be no extra charge for switching bays once payment is made. The income will fund improvements.
Riders will have to use Westminster's pay-by-phone system, although a range of other permit options are proposed.
All the council's motorcycle bays will also become no-go zones for other vehicles, which currently are allowed to use the outside their hours of operation.
Other planned improvements include the installation of more security devices to combat motorcycle theft, with nearly 50 U-shaped "Sheffield stands" on trial.
The council is also planning to boost the number of motorcycle spaces in its car parks.
Danny Chalkley, Westminster's cabinet member for transport and economic development, said: "We have listened to the views of motorcyclists and responded by creating extra spaces for them to park. Along with new security stands, we believe this will make parking in Westminster easier and more convenient for the hundreds of motorcyclists who drive in every day."
What utter cr@p! £1.50 a day could easily be £400 a year. They are planning to enforce these spaces 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That's before Islington council (where I live) decide to follow suit and I'm looking at £800 a year. FFS, it's an average of £100 a year for a residents permit for a car.
The argument of the charges paying for the "costs of extra security" is crap too. 50 Sheffield Stands at £44 a piece http://www.sekurabyk.com/pro_stand.html#1 will be recovered twice over in the first day alone! My fully comp insurance is less than £200 a year and they'll pay out if the bike gets nicked!
What can we do as bikers to fight this?
This is really annoying. Yet another way of taking more money from us and its only a matter of time before other cities and towns around the country follow suit.
I've yet to look into it but maybe there's a petition on the Downing St website or elsewhere, not that our voices will be heard.
I've yet to look into it but maybe there's a petition on the Downing St website or elsewhere, not that our voices will be heard.
[quote=ec1 eex]From yesterday's Evening Standard:
. The income will fund improvements.
Riders will have to use Westminster's pay-by-phone system, although a range of other permit options are proposed.
Danny Chalkley, Westminster's cabinet member for transport and economic development, said: "We have listened to the views of motorcyclists and responded by creating extra spaces for them to park. Along with new security stands, we believe this will make parking in Westminster easier and more convenient for the hundreds of motorcyclists who drive in every day."
/quote]
How many things wrong can a spokesman get in one press release.
1. Not the first time Westminster have tried to charge. They did it a few years ago, but the system failed because the spaces available were reduced by the method used to mark the bays.
2. What possible improvements can he mean?
3. The pay by phone system is a good way to empty the battery on your mobile(having suffered it in my car) and is only to save the council having to collect the cash.
4. If he had indeed listened to the views of motorcyclists, he would not have heard many saying "do please let us pay to park" Unless he was on some interesting drugs for his hearing problems.
4. Just what is easier and more convenient just because you're going to pay for what was free?
Motorcyclists to be charged £1.50 a day to use parking bays
WESTMINSTER: Hundreds of new motorcycle bays are to be installed in Westminster but riders will, for the first time, be charged for parking.. The income will fund improvements.
Riders will have to use Westminster's pay-by-phone system, although a range of other permit options are proposed.
Danny Chalkley, Westminster's cabinet member for transport and economic development, said: "We have listened to the views of motorcyclists and responded by creating extra spaces for them to park. Along with new security stands, we believe this will make parking in Westminster easier and more convenient for the hundreds of motorcyclists who drive in every day."
/quote]
How many things wrong can a spokesman get in one press release.
1. Not the first time Westminster have tried to charge. They did it a few years ago, but the system failed because the spaces available were reduced by the method used to mark the bays.
2. What possible improvements can he mean?
3. The pay by phone system is a good way to empty the battery on your mobile(having suffered it in my car) and is only to save the council having to collect the cash.
4. If he had indeed listened to the views of motorcyclists, he would not have heard many saying "do please let us pay to park" Unless he was on some interesting drugs for his hearing problems.
4. Just what is easier and more convenient just because you're going to pay for what was free?
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