Mission statement
The Public Notice stating that the parking charge is an experiment. Westminster have taken these down however.
Who We Are
“No To the Bike Parking Tax” is a non-political action group representing motorcyclists and scooterists who object to illegitimate introduction of parking levies by Westminster City Council and any other authorities.
Our Mission
The total withdrawal of all parking taxes levied on motorcyclists and scooterists and a full refund of all fees paid to date by riders who had no other option but to pay them. We further wish to inform riders that this crazy tax is only an EXPERIMENT and that all can contribute their objection to a review body that can overturn its full scale introduction.
Action Plan
We aim to achieve the goal of the abandonment of this parking charge experiment (scheme is due for review by Westminster City Council) by making the views of riders known through a legal challenge (please donate), protest, lobbying, legal direct action and official objections.
Protests
We plan on organising regular protests on the streets of London, protests with purpose, for details of our next protest visit this events section. We hope to see you at the next one!
Objections
Also we ask each and every one of you who support the campaign to object to the current experimental parking charge scheme, use our convenient object by email form here, objections MUST BE CONSIDERED at the review by Westminster City Council.
Protest outside Westminster City Hall by the campaign, more demos to come.
Direct Lobbying
We plan to lobby councillors to overturn this experiment and advise them of the weakness of the argument regarding the purported benefits. We hope to also bring to the councillors attention the bad feeling this is creating among both their residents and commuters who greatly add to the Westminster Council economy, for a full list of Westminster Councillors and their contact details go here.
We strongly hold that this scheme is nothing other than revenue-raising and a designed to deter motorcycle and scooter usage, latest figures from Westminster show that so far £2.5million has been made from the experimental scheme yet only £300k has been spent, mainly on signs and lines, this is a dangerous piece of anti-rider legislation which would, if allowed to be introduced fully, soon be copied by other councils throughout the UK and beyond. It was Westminster who introduced extortionate car parking fees to reduce parking congestion and look how long it took for that to spread.
Introducing fees seems totally contrary to the well-documented aims of Transport for London’s anti-congestion initiatives. The levying of the Congestion Charge on 2-wheeled motorised transport – like all previous parking legislation – was felt to be inappropriate, since it was considered an efficient mode of transport to help ease the Capital’s congestion problem.
Westminster City Council argues that the fees are to raise revenue to improve facilities and increase the number of parking bays. If they were genuinely concerned about the cost then why have they not adopted similar schemes to re-coup the far greater costs of implementing cycle-lanes, the on and off-road signage and the pavement-security for push bikes? Might it be that they see motorcycles and scooters as a soft touch? What exactly is the council tax for if not to pay for facilities for residents, contributing workers to the local economy and visitors?
Looking up at Westminster City Council tower, protester stands defiant against the parking charge.
Based on the experience of the Congestion Charge, which was in part justified by the huge revenue it would generate for the tube (remember the £200m to be raised for the tube) When introduced at £5 per day it was shown to be “loss-making” and the scheme needed to be raised to £8. Cllr Danny Chalkley, the architect of the Motorcycle Parking Scheme for Westminster is promoting the charge as being “only £1.50 per day” (add 10p for the confirmation text cost, so it is actually £1.60, which they don’t advertise), thereby implying it to be so negligible as to be a concern (though even at this level we strongly disagree), he has been careful to avoid stating whether this charge has been capped. Where will end???
We must consider the far-wider concern of what non-action against this experimental traffic order will have on the parking strategies of all other Councils in the whole land.
Whilst Westminster has claimed to have undertaken full consultation, this clearly was not the case – did you know it was being introduced?? By quietly rolling out the experimental traffic order the law may have been followed but not the spirit of the law. Those who would be affected by the introduction of this scheme were, by in large, not informed or canvassed.
No mention is made currently on the signage of motorcycle bays that the charges being levied are part of an EXPERIMENT and that there is only an experimental traffic order and not a traffic order or law for permanent charging. There is also no mention of where you can object or record your views on the scheme. You may send your objection officially using our object by email form.
We feel very strongly that the Westminster City Council committee that voted in this experiment has not been able to fully appreciate the magnitude and the depth of concern that motorcycle parking charges will invoke. (Oh and the committee of WCC Councillors that voted for the Motorcycle Parking Charge also voted Free Parking Permits for themselves… FOI Request reveals this here.)
Answering our critics
The main criticism apparently being levelled at our opposition to this scheme is that of: “Car drivers have to pay, so why shouldn’t bikes?”, to which our response is:
- There is a severe shortage of car parking spaces – the small area taken up by a motorcycle is a very efficient use of roadside. At least 8 bikes can be parked in the same space leaving potentially 7 car spaces unused – this should be encouraged and not taxed.
- PTWs (Powered Two Wheelers) reduce the overall congestion in a city and so their use should be promoted and not discouraged with an immoral levy.
- Motorcyclists are a hardy bunch travelling exposed to the elements and at higher risk of injury than 4 wheel road users. Ask critics if they would consider changing to 2 wheels and you are likely to get a negative response. We are a hardy bunch.
[...] be rammed full to overflowing pretty much 24/7. But that all stopped when Westminster began their ‘experimental’ scheme to try and force all scooter and motorbike riders to pay a new parking tax – which they did by [...]
I do not understand why you are objecting to the charge except to save yourself a quid. Why exactly do you think you should not have4 to pay parking charges?
Motorcyclists do not reduce congestion significantly. I believe you create more delays myself than if you were in a car. At every traffic light a queue of motorcyclists will form, when the lights change to green cars muct wait while a long line of motorbikes goes first. A motorcycle takes up just as much room as a car when following traffic. You are constantly weaving in and out of traffic to gain one extra space.
There is a public perception that two wheelers reduce congestion, do you have any evidence for this? cyclists and motorcyclists take up an entire lane on dual carriageway road and as far as i am concerned there would be greater road capcity without either of you.
Following your demonstrations I will be expressing my full support for the proposals both with westminster and the legal review. In fact I find your objection to the proposals unjustified, disgusting, and typical of motorcyclists.
Perhaps you should think twice before inconvienancing other road users becasue you dont think you should have to pay for parking.
Hi fellow bikers & just a thought about having to pay for parking but does anyone else not fancy standing by your ‘bikes & yelling all your bank details in public into your mobile – always assuming you’ve got a mobile of course! ‘Bikers can’t lock ourselves into our Audi can we to keep our details private; then there’s the lorry grinding past, the ‘plane flying over & the nice Romanian contact centre operator gets your number plate wrong – so you haven’t paid for your ‘bike but a vehicle anywhere else in the country but not where you are & welcome to a penalty for not paying. We just cannot, cannot, cannot be treated in the same way as four wheels; not everything with an engine is the same & such differences just have to be recognised.It’s just common sense & very good luck with the protest.
[...] what appeared to be a good natured example of affirmative action organised by the action group No To The Bike Parking Tax. Aside from the cacophany of perky horns and revved engines tooted by the bikers, traffic seemed no [...]
this tarun seems to a bit overboard regarding motorbikes. seems to me that she”d be quite happy to see bikes banned. only one word for that GORM!she”s obviously feeling really peeved because she”s stuck in her tub of a car in traffic jams etc… perhaps she needs a good ride to make her see the benefits of owning a bike.
why should we pay? we don”t use as much space on the road (even 2 loaded wings would only take up the space of a mini)
we are totally different to a car, therefore we should be treated differently.
and that doesn”t mean charging us!
we generally pay more upkeep for our vehicles, seen the price on a big tyre these days?
peaple who slag other forms of transport off need to remember that if you haven”t tried it then you can”t say that you don”t like it.
i could go on all day about the good things to be had by owning and riding a bike, but for now i wish you all the best…………..
This is in response to Trun Nanda’s point ,
The fact is that motorbike are not the Greenest way to travel, and yes in some bikes do take up a lot of space when they are on the road.
But you cannot avoid the fact that on a 2 meter by 10 meter parking space you will be able to park more motorbikes then cars.
our tube system and buses are almost full and the morning run to work, for most Londoners is possibly the worst part of the day, the motorbike is a serious alternative to the car although it is not the best, where possible people should try and understand that a motorbike is correct not the best answer to our problem in London but it is a better answer then a car.
Until be deal with the bigger problem of London, people should be encouraged to ride and not drive.
so sorry for the spelling and grammar issues, I am at work so had to rush type, but i do hope you understand my point.