You might have noticed that at a lot of motorcycles bays across westminister there are notes saying that they are going to start a trial charging of motorcycle parking from Mon-Sat
for 1,50 per day (you can also get weekly,monthly, quarterly, yearly etc)
this will take effect from 4th August 08
there is an interesting note towards the end saying that if you object then please contact them in writing - and it gives an address.
Does this mean that we can write to them saying that we object to take part in the trials and so not be charged for parking?
will we so not be penalised for not having a “parking ticket”?
also if this is a trial how will the assess the success or not?
how much money they make?
Be better to ensure the trial fails - if nobody uses the bays (I can dream, can’t I…?) for that week they may just conclude that they wouldn’t make a proft from putting 'em in permanently…
Make sure you all object - what is the addres so that non-bay using riders who would like to use bays in the future without paying (like me!) can object?
Yep, if someone could post the address up then loads of us could write in, I don’t commute into London and therefore do not use the bays but how are they going to know that and like Giuliano I may use them in the future
I can just imagine how this has gotten to this stage. A room full of fat, greedy public servant’s trying to figure out how to introduce motorcycles into the congestion charging scheme.
“I know, we’ll introduce a charge for parking in the motorcycle bay’s. We’ll start in Westminster, then when nobody is looking we’ll just extend it! And to do it on the quiet, but legally, we’ll only advertise the changes with some really small notices, which we’ll fix to railings and lampost’s just far enough away from the bay’s that they won’t even be noticed by the average biker who’s in a rush! And just to sweeten the deal, we’ll let them park in any bay within the area for a one off charge of £1.50p! If anyone ask’s why we are charging, we’ll just tell them it’s to cover the cost’s of our scheme to extend a few bike bay’s and put in some ground-anchors! They won’t even notice what we’ve done!”
And they all slap themselves on the back and start discussing which restaurant they are going to for their £150 lunch! :w00t:
It’s hardly been done on the quiet. MAG have been trying to mitigate the effects of this scheme right from the start over two years ago[1]. If the lobby groups hadn’t got involved there would be far fewer bays (the local residents wanted none!), the charges would have been considerably higher, and there would have been no security provision.
Much as MAG objects to PTW parking charges on principle, Westminster council have given PTWs much more than was originally invisaged by them. The bays are now legally PTW bays (previously they had no legal status) so cars/skips/deliveries can’t encroach on them with impunity as they could before.
Please report to MAG (via me works) any bays where they are charging and there is no security provision, and also feel free to send in your strong objections to the Council!
I agree, £1.50 aint that much and as its all day and any bay in westminster with security then awesome. Hey I want everything for free too but in real life it doesnt happen lol and what they are proposing is not that bad. Being s I dont use Westminster tht much my view is not based on a everday usage so feel free to scream rant and rage at me.
Jim - the signs have gone up all round Adelphi Terrace/Savoy Hill etc - there is no security there at all. The only security I have seen is in Chandos Place and what they have done is completely useless! Feel free to meet me for lunch in WC2 one day (I’ll pay) and you can see yourself.
NB - the free lunch is a Jim specific offer extendible only to other Jims that arrive on a black Fuocco.
£1.50 a day now?..this is for starters, it will only go up.
Fact: If you have paid for a years parking and you arrive in central Westminster after 9.30am every day you might as well have burned your money as there are no spaces in bike bays after 9am.
Individual ‘security’ measures such as ground anchors will reduce the space available for parking and will not make cutting through a chain any more difficult for the determined thief. Still can’t believe anyone seriously fell for this ruse.
This is a punitive measure against bikers. It is a stealth tax on PTWs that will achieve nothing other than penalising those least able to pay.
Bum. One of the ‘conditions’ of reluctantly letting this happen without making things much more confrontational was that the Quid Pro Quo would be a hitching-rail as a minimum.
The security is terrible. Something more discreet, a gutter anchor or something would suffice.Well done MAG’s Mr Ward by the way, good work. Crime is indeed a major factor in inhibiting more biking into the city and Westminister should be congratulated on its efforts here.
I would originally have been in favour of paying if it meant I had more spaces to park in. To be fair, they have added more spaces where I work (Marylebone High Street) and I never have trouble finding a space recently, even on nice hot days when all the FWR’s come out. Last summer sometimes I would circle for 20 to 30 minutes and then have to walk 10 minutes back to work.
I guess as they have improved things for me, I have more trouble moaning when they say they would now like me to pay a little? True, it may go up and up, but £1.50 to park a bike for the day where cars pay £24 for the day is okay right now I guess.
First post here (long time lurker). I am completely disgusted by this scheme. I work in Soho and can see no increase in the provision of spaces or security (even though Soho Square, when there are no works going on, can be completely devoid of cars).
If you read the impact assessment on Westminster’s website, basically it is quite clear that they will be a profit within a very short space of time (i.e. the minimal investment in repainting, installing some security and advertising will very quickly be outweighed by the income from the scheme).
Of course, as others here have pointed out, the charges are only likely to go up from here.
Whilst not exactly the basis for making a business decision, I have half a mind to move my business to Camden (and take the £50k in rates each year with me).
One of the ‘conditions’ of reluctantly letting this happen without making things much more confrontational was that the Quid Pro Quo would be a hitching-rail as a minimum.