It sounds like Westminster will start charging us for parking our bikes in early 2008… the link their website where I found the information is below. This seems to be pretty much confirmed.
I see they give an address where you can point out where they could extend bayys or provide new ones - get to it everyone!
What I have not seen explained is whether the charge of £1.50 a day will allow you to park in as many locations as you like for a single charge.
The 1.50 is for a day, as many places as you like. Payment might be tricky for those without a mobile phone or internet access though…
I wonder how long it will take the other areas to follow suit?
There are people that park their bikes on the ‘Pavement Lights’ next to our work.
I have asked a passing traffic warden and he said it is perfectly legal. If they go ahead with the charge these will still be free of charge correct? 
i think there will be blood baths over these free spots 
I realise this may be a minority view but I would not object to £1.50 per day providing I can actually find a place and it is an individualy marked out bay with an anchor point for a chain. Westminster have put some M/C bays like this near New Scotland Yard. If we actually get this type of bay then the additional security and the ability to park without finding a scooter attached to your pegs would be worth £1.50.
Pavement lights normally form part of the highway (legally extends to the wall, fence or other barrier)and therefore bikes can usually be booked when on them whatever the warden says.
…and I wonder how long it will take them to iucrease the £1.50 per day fee…
(On account of Inflation/ Global Warming / Anti-Terror Laws / Olympics / And any other number of lame excuses they feel like using…)
Maybe G,
but i see them parked there everyday and not once have a seen a ticket on them 
Thin end of the wedge.
We all say ooh isn’t this cheap for what they’re promising.
I can personally lay my hand on my hearts and say, “YOU SUCKERS!”
This will come in in a half-arsed manner ie minimal security/provision for our benefit and MAXIMUM attention to revenue harvesting. THen within two years, the Westminster council will turn round and say "Owing to the number of requests for “more” spaces for bikers, we’re raising the charges to £5/£10/£however much they need to subsidise other badly run departments of their council.
Who bites the big one, whilst getting very little in return? US
This is a tax AGAINST bikers cos car drivers have stopped coming into London following Ken’s SUCCESSFUL Congestion Charge.
Why is our congestion alleviating mode of transport being taxed/penalised?
I’d pay £1.50 gladly if I had a marked out space. The damage to the bike alone when it’s wedged up to other bikes probably costs more than this over a year anyway. Toby’s got a point, how long before they raise it to a fiver a day?
Agree with Toby 100% on this, they’re saying its gonna cost x millions of pounds or whatever to extend bike bays. I mean, how much does white paint cost nowadays.
Motorcycles are the perfect solution to city centre congestion, why penalise those people who are helping to alleviate the traffic and polution in the 1st place?
Official MAG position is that we are against parking charges for PTW’s, that’s it.
However, Westminster Council have to deal with Real Life, and so do we. Frankly I think they’ve rolled over and been very good friends to bikers here. More spaces, each one marked out and eventually all with security measures. The charge of GBP1.50 should have all the measures paid for in two-three years (when are the elections?) - then we can push for ‘free’ again.
It would help the argument if bikers always left places cleaner and tidier than when they arrived…
The problem is jimc, that whether they’re charging a penny or a pound, once they start getting that income stream, they’re not going to voluntarily give it up, so you won’t get the opportunity to “push for free” because they’ll tell you where to go quite simply. Once they start, there is nothing to stop them putting up the charges in a year or two and you can bet it won’t be in line with the rate of inflation. Perfect example is the congestion charge which went up from £5 to £8 after a year or two, quite a substantial increase.
If you’re against parking charges for ptw’s, then fight them now, its the only chance you’ll get. Surely the increased uptake of motorcycles for commuting have had a substantial effect on the levels of congestion in the centre of London. There must be a net benefit in reduced congestion/pollution to the London economy as a direct result of increased motorcycle use, probably more than the proposed cost of the works to extend/upgrade bike bays so in effect motorcyclists are paying twice, both directly and indirectly.
This is just another tax. Camden have bike bays with rails to chain your bike to. Free of charge! Westminster are just looking at the income.
All they need is the low rail at the back of the bay for the chain, paint to demark the parking area and it is sorted.
This sort of thing just prices the transport out of the market for me. Another little bit here and another little bit there ends up being far too much on my income. I’ll lose my house at this rate.
Yeah but Jim, there’s no way to push for re-freeing bike parking once they’ve established the pay up precedent.
Firstly their accountants will be expecting that income stream. When did a British government at any level be it local or national EVER reduce taxes except when forced to by rioting?!?
Secondly, how would they justify to other road users (that are FAR greater in number overall than bikers) that we don’t have to pay when they do…the council’d never get that past ANY electorate, especially considering the eternally stupid and inaccurate reputation we bikers seem to have…dirty, loud, smelly, trouble, etc., etc., etc.
How many people you know with a bike, n central london without a mobile or internet access?
+1
So… More place for the ones who are willing to pay…
still cheaper than having to take the tube…
Will scooters actually keep to the marked bays, or is it going to be an offence to not park in a bay/across bays?
How big are these bays going to be? Surely bays are going to reduce the number of spaces, yes they might be extending, but this could only result in the same number of spaces.
Anyone got the size of the new bays. Therefore we can count how many bikes per 25m or so now, and then compare against the bay sizes to see whether this is true or not.
It will never go down from £1.50, even if the extortionate cost of painting the lines is covered, its a revenue stream and they are never going to give that up.
Will this mean more bikes without registration, foreign plated scoots and such?
I would obviously like to park for free, but you have to eventually pay for stuff, I mean how are those expense claims going to get paid?