Paris moves closer to charging for motorcycle parking

THE mayor of Paris is making a push to end free motorcycle parking in some areas of the city. The idea is not new, although until now had only been mooted in the French capital.

Now though, Paris Mayor, Anne Hidalgo, has made a U-turn on her original campaign pledge of allowing motorcycles to park freely, and her team are now heading towards implementing the plan.

Paris will not be alone in charging motorcycles should the scheme go ahead, already bikers in Vincennes and Charenton-le-Pont have to pay to park in some areas. The fees are less than those paid by car drivers, around a third, and mean a bike will pay €1.50 for two hours, or €0.70 per day for holders of a resident card.

The Fédération Française des Motards en Colère Paris Petite Couronne (FFMC PPC) is already planning to take action to stop the move, with a planned demonstration to take place next Saturday. A petition launched by the group last year has already collected more than 20,000 signatures.

Could motorcycle parking charges appear in UK cities also?

The simple answer to that is yes, you betcha. In fact, it’s already active in the  Currently only one of London’s 32 boroughs charges motorcycles for parking, with Westminster charging £1-per-day. It’s not a total waste of cash though, the borough has done extensive work to try and combat motorcycle crime and anti-social behaviour.

It might not stop there though, as Camden council is planning to charge bikes a colossal £6 a day for the pleasure of parking in a motorcycle-only bay. That’s £138 per month on parking alone, completely nullifying the known benefits of riding a bike.