No To the Bike Parking Tax

In this email:

• Welcome to all the new supporters.
• Watch the "Call to arms" short video, the big day is almost upon us!
• Full details for the 1st July MEGA demo (Inc Map).
• What do Westminster think? Listen to this short interview.
• Send in your objection, off-line or on-line.
• Thank you to Doble Motorcycles and MCE Insurance.
• Hi-Viz Campaign Vests.

Welcome to the new supporters!

Since the last mail-out there has been a massive increase in the number of supporters joining the campaign, if you are one of them <<First Name>> <<Last Name>>, we send our thanks and welcome from all of the committee and other supporters. We can only win this battle with your full support, numbers are increasing on an hourly basis, you are now part of that. If you have any questions or can offer anything to the campaign do let us know by contacting us using the form here.

Watch the latest "Call to Arms" video.

Our man in the studio has been busy again, this is the latest video in his collection! Have a watch of the short "Call to Arms" video gearing up for the big day on the 1st July! WATCH IT HERE. If you are a new supporter and have yet to see any of the past demonstration video reports (for new supporters we produce a video after every demo) or other campaign videos, you can visit this page where you can watch all the videos from the campaign so far and get an idea of how past demos went and get up to speed. The same goes for photos, you can see all past demo photos here.

Make sure you get your voice heard!

The "Objection Wednesday" demo is fast approaching, the deadline for objections against the scheme is also fast approaching. We know a lot of you have already objected already, for those that have yet to object it is very easy, you can either print off an objection form (PDF) and bring it along on the 1st July and/or you can use a quick and easy on-line objection form. The demonstration on Wednesday will be a chance for you to object right under Westminster’s greedy noses, as you know the demo is about handing in objections to the scheme directly outside Westminster City Hall, whatever you do, make sure you are there on the day to hand in your objections. (The on-line facility is purely there for those that absolutely cannot make it!) preferably however, we ask you to do both BE AT THE DEMO ON WEDNESDAY TO OBJECT and object on-line, the more work we create for Westminster the better. This is one of the few occasions when anybody truly against this tax can have their say, and to have that opinion officially noted. GET AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU KNOW TO OBJECT TOO.

Full MEGA demo details – 1st July 09 "Objection Wednesday". (Inc Map)

The details for the upcoming demo this Wednesday are as follows:

5:45pm-6:15pm: Meet and Park up in Golden Square, W1 (Map) for demo briefing.
6:30pm: Demo-ride leaves Golden Square, W1 heading through the Central London, past Parliament en-route to Westminster. (ROUTE MAP)
7pm: Approx arrival at Westminster City Hall to hand in Objections, Victoria St will be closed to other traffic for the demo, only 2 wheels allowed!
7pm-9pm: Handing in objection forms. (Make sure you download and print some out)
9pm: Approx end time.

EARLY BIRD? There will be the usual ride from the Ace Cafe London meeting between 3:30pm-4:15pm then riding to Golden Square, W1 to meet with the others.

Whatever you are planning, make sure you are at any of those meeting points, or join us en-route I am sure you will be able to hear us! If you have any questions feel free to contact us here. Do forget to decorate your bike!

What do Westminster think?

Have a listen to this interview by "Jo" – "Motorbike Protest". Westminster’s parking department Kieran "One Size" Fitsall and our very own Chairman Warren feature. A few notes however… (The details about the demo in the interview are not for the 1st July, this interview was taken for a previous demo on 9th June, so ignore those bits, full details of the 1st July demo are above), also when the reporter says that the scheme has become permanent that is not the case, the scheme is still running as an experiment, Westminster have yet to make it permanent. Westminster seem to think that opposition is getting smaller, are they in fairy land?, can they not open their eyes?. Let us show them on the 1st of July that this is not the case, come out on the street, be there with the rest of us, we would like to extend that invitation to any Westminster Councillors reading this email (and yes, we know you have subscribed to it) make sure that you are tucked up inside Westminster City Hall on the 1st July, it will be spectacular!

Thanks to Doble Motorcycles and MCE Insurance!

Thank you to Doble Motorcycles and MCE Insurance for avidly spreading the word via their customer base. May we take this chance to also say, that if you are planning to buy anything from any motorcycle/scooter dealer, shop, garage etc… before you buy you ask if they support the "No To the Bike Parking Tax" Campaign, if they say "No", then walk straight back out the door and go to the next nearest that supports the campaign. The more customers that do this the more they will realise that they must get on board and fight this all the way, ultimately what Westminster are doing is imposing a scheme which is a deterrent, they have even said that is what the scheme is now designed to do, "to deter motorcyclists", if this scheme spreads you can be sure that it will affect their business, less motorcyclists on the road, less business for them, and along with that, Westminster will soon increase the tax no doubt, this really is a scheme that must be fought all the way.

Hi-Viz Campaign Vests.

Full details on how to get hold of a campaign vest are available here.

See you there <<First Name>> <<Last Name>>, for the largest demo yet!

No To the Bike Parking Tax Committee.

Videos / Photos / Facebook Group / Twitter Page 1 / Twitter Page 2 / Alternative Forum / Alternative Campaign News

To all those that have utilised all avenues of promotion to aid the campaign and the upcoming demo, thank you, please ignore this email, you know who you are!

To the supporters who have yet to get the message out there…

The No To the Bike Parking Tax Campaign need your full support during the imminent upcoming demonstration on the 1st of July, it is a crucial date in the battle against the motorcycle/scooter parking tax.

We have been happy to carry <<Company>>’s logo/banner on our website, but now we really need you to pull out all the stops, the upcoming demo on the 1st of July is taking place and needs to be the BIGGEST demo yet for the campaign, we can only make it HUGE if <<Company>> utilise all the communications methods available to them to get the message out to your customers and suppliers by publishing our message on forums, using your mailing lists and prominently displaying details for the 1st July demonstration on your website.

Now is the time to really push the message, the demonstration on the 1st July will be a mass objection hand-in right outside Westminster City Hall, we are taking it back to the source, the target is to get 5,000 riders, we know it can be done, but your support is crucial, it really needs to be a spectacle!

The most important message it the fact that the "objection window" is open and this is one of the few occasions when anybody truly against this tax can have their say, and to have that opinion officially noted. So here is that objection form:

• “The objection form” – Fill this in and get others to do the same! (PDF)

Full details of the demo are available on the website, including the meeting points and route map. However! To assist you in the promotion we have created various leaflets, here:

• “Stand up and be counted” leaflet x8pp (PDF)
• “It’s time to object” leaflet x8pp (PDF)
• “Your borough WILL be next” (For outside Westminster & London) leaflet x8pp (PDF)
  

If you have any questions please feel to reply direct to this email.

Thank you for your continued support, together we succeed, divided we fall.

A video you may wish to share with your supporters, this has not been produced by the campaign officially, but we thought that it should be shared due to its great way of making the message clear, see for yourselves, watch it here.

Regards,

Warren Djanogly (Chairman) and No To the Bike Parking Tax Committee

There is a cancer in our midst, and unless we ALL come together to eradicate it, the spread is inevitable, marking the demise of the most standardised freedoms afforded to riders world-wide.

In Autumn 2008, Westminster City Council introduced, on an experimental basis, the most toxic piece of anti-rider legislation…charging for on-street motorcycle/scooter parking, and the company contracted to collect these taxes, Verrus (UK) Ltd, have been given a "UK-wide framework contract". In laymen terms, that’s WCC’s clear intention to actively encourage any other borough/authority in the UK to join them.

Due to a "variation" in the scheme, and prior to WCC’s attempting to make these taxes permanent, WCC have to afford the public a window to submit formal "objection" which they are then bound to consider.

This is one of the few occasions when anybody truly against this tax can have their say, and to have that opinion officially noted.

It is imperative that everybody who believes in preserving our freedoms to complete the "Objection form" link below, photocopy it, and bring both to either Golden Square, W1 [DEMO ROUTE MAP] between 5.45pm & 6.30pm to join the ride-out to Westminster City Hall, Victoria Street, SW1, or join us there from 7pm where we will all hand-deliver them and get a stamp of receipt (reason for photocopy) (There will also be the usual pre-demo meet-up at Ace Cafe for 3pm-4pm for the early birds who want to protest that little bit more!)

Quite simply, if you cannot make it because of prior commitments, or can’t be bothered, or simply have something better to do, when they hike up the "Accepted" charge to £1 an hour, or £20-a-day (claiming it to be "still-reasonable-compared-to-what-cars-pay"), and is rolled-out in every other borough/authority in the UK, then please remember that you had the chance to stop it, but chose not to. Westminster NOW, your council NEXT, stop the rot!

I am afraid to say that excuses just will not do on July 1st. You, your ride-out buddies, your biking work-colleagues, friends and family simply HAVE to attend and deliver a clear message to WCC Parking Bosses that they will not get away with this tax…

See you all there on the 1st July!

To assist promoting this demo, here is are some leaflets for download as PDF’s:-

1. A Poster version of the above message. [PDF]
2. x8 strip flyers for attaching to bikes [PDF]
3. Objection card (with usage details) [PDF]

Spread this message to all your contacts, your rider buddies, your motorcycle/scooter clubs, get this on as many forums, websites that you know of! 1ST OF JULY NEEDS TO BE HUGE!

Warren Djanogly
Chairman, No To Bike Parking Tax Campaign

Campaign Videos – Campaign Photo Gallery – Who are we? – Campaign Mission Statement – Campaign Facebook Group

There is a cancer in our midst, and unless we ALL come together to eradicate it, the spread is inevitable, marking the demise of the most standardised freedoms afforded to riders world-wide.

In Autumn 2008, Westminster City Council introduced, on an experimental basis, the most toxic piece of anti-rider legislation…charging for on-street motorcycle/scooter parking, and the company contracted to collect these taxes, Verrus (UK) Ltd, have been given a "UK-wide framework contract". In laymen terms, that’s WCC’s clear intention to actively encourage any other borough/authority in the UK to join them.

Due to a "variation" in the scheme, and prior to WCC’s attempting to make these taxes permanent, WCC have to afford the public a window to submit formal "objection" which they are then bound to consider.

This is one of the few occasions when anybody truly against this tax can have their say, and to have that opinion officially noted.

It is imperative that everybody who believes in preserving our freedoms to complete the "Objection form" link below, photocopy it, and bring both to either Golden Square, W1 [DEMO ROUTE MAP] between 5.45pm & 6.30pm to join the ride-out to Westminster City Hall, Victoria Street, SW1, or join us there from 7pm where we will all hand-deliver them and get a stamp of receipt (reason for photocopy) (There will also be the usual pre-demo meet-up at Ace Cafe for 3pm-4pm for the early birds who want to protest that little bit more!)

Quite simply, if you cannot make it because of prior commitments, or can’t be bothered, or simply have something better to do, when they hike up the "Accepted" charge to £1 an hour, or £20-a-day (claiming it to be "still-reasonable-compared-to-what-cars-pay"), and is rolled-out in every other borough/authority in the UK, then please remember that you had the chance to stop it, but chose not to. Westminster NOW, your council NEXT, stop the rot!

I am afraid to say that excuses just will not do on July 1st. You, your ride-out buddies, your biking work-colleagues, friends and family simply HAVE to attend and deliver a clear message to WCC Parking Bosses that they will not get away with this tax…

See you all there on the 1st July!

To assist promoting this demo, here is are some leaflets for download as PDF’s:-

1. A Poster version of the above message. [PDF]
2. x8 strip flyers for attaching to bikes [PDF]
3. Objection card (with usage details) [PDF]

Spread this message to all your contacts, your rider buddies, your motorcycle/scooter clubs, get this on as many forums, websites that you know of! 1ST OF JULY NEEDS TO BE HUGE!

Warren Djanogly
Chairman, No To Bike Parking Tax Campaign

Campaign Videos – Campaign Photo Gallery – Who are we? – Campaign Mission Statement – Campaign Facebook Group

In this email:

• Video report from 9th June 09 "Loopy Tuesday" watch now!
• Photos from "Loopy Tuesday".
• Campaign website "Where is it?".
• What is next?

Another amazing video from our man in the studio!

Thanks to all of you that came to the demo on Tuesday, and those that were there in spirit. This time we go round and round and round and round, if you were there in person you might be in the 5 minute video report! Have a watch of it here. Spread it around the internet, bike forums, social networks, you know! And tell everyone one you know about the upcoming MEGA demo on 1st July 09 outside Westminster City Hall! (More details about that demo coming soon, but clear you diaries!)

A set of great photos from the "Loopy Tuesday" demo.

Thank you to Jean-Paul Berthoin for the great shots as always, much appreciated. Go to the gallery page here and view them.

Where is the campaign website?

As you may already know, it was announced at the demo on Tues 9th June, the campaign website was hacked and is currently being re-built, in the meantime a temporary landing page has been put up in it’s place to provide basic information and sign-ups. For more information on the hack, have a read of this article.

What is happening next?

Next up is another round of objections, the motorcycle/scooter parking tax scheme in Westminster City Council has been varied as we all know. This requires Westminster Council to produce a new traffic order, in their attempt to make the scheme permanent (however permanent does not mean permanent), by law they have to open this new traffic order to objections, the objection window is 3 weeks from 11th June 09 to 2nd July 09, we will be sending out full information on how you can make your objection to the scheme soon (that will be our next email).

Then on the eve of the final day for objections we will be organising a MEGA OBJECTION HAND IN DEMO right out side Westminster City Hall, Victoria St, SW1, (taking it back to the source of the problem) this will be held on 1st July 09, do clear your diaries. This is one of the few occasions when anybody truly against this tax can have their say, and to have that opinion officially noted.

Thank you for your continued support <<First Name>> <<Last Name>>.

No To the Bike Parking Tax Committee

PS. Due to the campaign website being down, there is an alternative website which is discussing the issue of the motorcycle/scooter parking tax, to visit, go here torytax.com or if you are a Facebook user you can join our Facebook group by going here.

Details of upcoming demo this Tues, 9th June – "Loopy Tuesday".

See you at Berkeley Square <<First Name>> <<Last Name>> before 6.20pm on Tuesday, 9th June [Click here for full interactive map, with meeting points, times, route and after demo post-meeting and refreshments] There will be a pre-demo meet at the Ace Cafe with a ride to Berkeley Square for the main event, if you want to join us on that, be at the Ace Cafe between 3:45pm – 4:15pm.

A message from the campaign chairman.

As you know, Tuesday 9th June will see the next in our series of demos and the need for you to come on the street and display your discontent cannot be more crucial. As Desperate Dan Chalkley is hurriedly trying push the scheme toward permanence, behind the scenes, our campaign has now ramped up the pressure to the highest it has ever been. And this has only been possible from the fear of exposure that our demos create that makes Desperate Dan resort to outrageous, and desperate attempts to bad-mouth our campaign through the press and pretty much anybody Desperate Dan can find to listen to his ramblings.You have to ask yourself, why would he get so nervous?, and the answer is simple. The more times we hit the streets, the more people start asking questions, and the more the likelihood that Desperate Dan will be exposed for what he really is…..a blatant opportunist who cares more about impressing his inner sanctum by the level of funds his department brings in rather than caring about who he fleeces on the way.

Because YOU were prepared to join us on our last demo, he resorted to a dirty tricks campaign, which comprised of a template letter, made to look like it had come from "concerned" Logistics companies (you know, the ones who haulage and delivery trucks who congest and pollute the most) expressing their disapproval of our demos. Well, upon closer inspection, the "praise for the negotiability of WCC Parking Bosses" expressed therein has now been exposed as based in WCC Parking Department receiving sums of money (declared as "funding" of one of WCC Parking Staff) from the same Logistics companies in exchange for massively reduced PCN’s.

Exactly how this works is currently being investigated, but suffice to say, even if our own personal opinions of it being blatant bribery prove to be unfounded, it would appear at best to be in breach of the ruling of R v LB of Camden ex parte 1995, where it says that Councils cannot raise money from parking. So, to allow WCC to get around this and "sell" their "parking expertise", they set up a private limited company called Westco Ltd to trade. If the logistics company are merely getting "parking advice" as is being claimed by Parking Bosses, then why are they having to pay money over to WCC as opposed to everyone else who has to use Westco Ltd? And guess who has just given a £100k+ contract to Westco for "Parking Advice"?? Ealing BC, who, in doing so without putting it to tender, could have breach their own regulations. Who would want anything to do with Desperate Dan Chalkley???

All of these things are emerging as a direct result of YOU taking the time to come on our demos, so, please make more of a concerted effort this time, and recruit as many others as possible. This time, when we say we’re gonna "Lay siege to London", we gonna really mean business, aided and abetted in no small way by the proposed Tube Strike which should see more people on the street. Please be under no misconception, these are exactly the people we need to impress if more are to point the finger at the petulant stubbornness of Desperate Dan, desperately clinging to the increasingly proven unjustifiable excuses for this tax.

For those of you who have joined us before, apart from the very, very few minority of irate road-users who find the concept of being held up by a motorcycle unacceptable (which only serves to highlight the irony that, not only do P2W’s not congest, they are not allowed to congest as far as others are concerned – would that car driver who edged out and knocked over the motorcyclist last time had it been a taxi, or a bus that was holding him up??), the general public view our demos as somewhat of a parade. And this time, we have printed material to help us convey our message to the crowds.

Who knows what Desperate Dan will reveal as a result?

See you at Berkeley Square <<First Name>> <<Last Name>> before 6.20pm on Tuesday, 9th June [Click here for full map, with meeting points, times, route and after demo post-meeting and refreshments] or at the pre-meet at the Ace Cafe.

Best,

Warren – Chairman of No To the Bike Parking Tax Campaign

Campaign website down…

The current campaign website is down, we are aware of this and are working on getting it back on-line soon, for information on the upcoming demo and to stay informed either check our Facebook page or the alternative discussion forum here "ToryTax.com" (You will need to sign up), there is a lot of discussion on this issue and the campaign, the torytax.com forum has no direct association with the campaign committee and is purely a supporters forum and a place to voice your opinion.

In this email:

• Reminder of invitation to resident’ meeting tonight.

Invitation to residents’ meeting. PLEASE RSVP.

For those of you that have informed me of your attendance this evening, apologies for this reminder email.

I as a Westminster City Council resident and campaign committee member would like to invite you to a meeting of residents against the bike parking tax, taking place this evening (3rd June) at 6:30pm at 1 Alfred Place, I have had some RSVP’s already and I hope you can join us, the details are:

Residents’ meeting: (This evening) Weds, 3rd June at 6:30pm at:

One Alfred Place
1 Alfred Place
London WC1E [MAP]

My contact details are: Martin Johnson – martin@notobikeparkingfees.com you can reply direct to this email to contact me with any questions, suggestions, whatever you want!

Given that there were some 150+ official from residents Objections (plus others who signed up to the Petition), there are probably many Residents in each of Westminster’s 20 Wards who are already involved in this campaign. Perhaps we can get like-minded who live near each other, in the same Wards, to spearhead a more local campaign – to generate your own local Petitions, to raise your concerns with you local Ward Councillors, to contact local Residents’ Associations and Retailers. Maybe you see other scooters and motorcycles locally, and have always wondered whether they, too, were active in supporting this campaign? Etc.

So .. please try to make it along to the Residents Meeting (see above), and I would also love to hear from ALL of you – let me know who you are, which WARD (if you’re not sure, then plug your postcode in on the Westminster Council website, to find out), whether you have a Residents’ Parking Permit for your bike(s), whether you’ve been getting PCNs (Parking Tickets), other problems, etc., etc?

Together, we CAN help to defeat Chalkley’s Tax, to once again make Motorcycle Parking a free Council service, as it has always been, and not just a money-spinning exercise for a greedy Council.

Yours sincerely,

Martin Johnson, Westminster Resident and NTBPT Committee