BEING able to park your motorcycle for free in towns and cities across the UK and Europe is just one of the many benefits of taking two wheels over four.
Parking a bike sensibly so it doesn’t impede traffic or impose a danger to pedestrians is something that comes naturally to most riders of powered two-wheelers. In fact, a recent FEMA survey unsurprisingly found that an overwhelming number of motorcyclists agree, with more than 88 percent backing this logical approach.
The survey also found that a vast number of motorcycle riders would prefer car and bike parking to be in separate areas and some even responded by stating they would be happy to pay for parking, as long as there was something in it for them. The most requested item we would like provided at a paid motorcycle parking space is security and theft protection measures, be that either in the form of CCTV or ground anchors. If you are simply lining the pockets of a local council or private company it seems, we bikers are less inclined to toss a couple of quid into the pot.
Is Lewisham Council just the first of many to charge for motorcycle parking?
That last point is something that Lewisham council (among others in the UK) would be sensible to take heed to. Lewisham is just one UK council looking to impose parking charges for PTWs, initially wanting a whopping £3.50 an hour for the privilege of parking your bike within the borough. Resident permits were set to cost an eyewatering £125, while professional riders, couriers and so on, would have to fork out £625. Talk about squeezing the public for everything they have got!
That amount has since been reduced to 80p per hour of £2 a day, although the thinking behind this is one of the most illogical things, I think I’ve ever heard. The move to reduce the charges for PTWs was helped thanks to lobbying from groups like MAG and the NMC, and the reasoning behind it was that it would help people make the shift from four wheels to two… Here’s a thought for you, how about making motorcycle parking totally free, then making the switch to two wheels even more enticing to Joe Public. It’s just a thought!
