While the world watched a variety of protests in the London streets gathering around the G20 summit, bikers had its own crowd of advocates rallying against motorcycle parking fees.
An estimated four thousand riders gathered their motorcycles and crowded the streets of the English capital on March 31st to present a case against not only parking fees being imposed against riders in London, but the possibility they could spread to the entire country.
British motorcycle advocacy groups and even the Mayor of London have condemned the parking fees Westminster City Council in London are imposing against riders.
Accusations of officials misleading advocacy groups on the parking charges as a trial period and concerns over the fees spreading nationwide are testing what many consider a right of riders navigating one of Europe’s most congested cities.
Since August 4, 2008 the Westminster City Council has charged motorcycle and scooter riders £1.50 ($2.20) a day to park in the central London borough, or £150 ($220) for an annual permit both of which apparently are contrary to Britain’s government policy of making motorcycling more acceptable.
“These charges were introduced without proper consultation, in effect being forced on riders without notice. We’re lobbying Westminster City Council for them to be dropped,” UK Motorcycle Retailers’ Association chairman Martin Marshall said.
Riders in and around London met at Trafalgar Square and rode to Westminster City Hall on the evening of March 31st. Following the pattern of past protests, the ride was slow and orderly, causing a disturbance on the normally busy, congested streets of London.
The demonstration was organized with the cooperation of London’s police and according the organization’s website had full backing from advocacy and other protest groups such as BMF, MAG,Motorcycle Parking, TaxPayers’ Alliance and Drivers’ Alliance.
The group promises to continue to organize protests until the council abandons parking fees for motorcycles.
I was on the the ride and it was fantastic. Thanks for this report.
I think its a cheek to charge for motorbike parking because i work around the financial sector and even though you to can park your bike (but you have to get there early)you do not have your own bay, the bikes are so close together that my bike as been scratched and damaged twice, so as for them wanting to charge you £1:50 a day to get your bike damaged is an ouright discrace.
As i see it its another STEALTH TAX for the country.
When is the next rally because we should keep this going as quick as possible to get our message across to all these polititions