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Why I shall pay and display as a protest
• HAVING been a resident of Westminster for nine years, I have just purchased a motorcycle primarily for weekend and recreational use, not for commuting.
I obtained a resident’s parking permit, and then, through careless reading of the new solo motorcycle parking bays, received two tickets for parking on my street in the solo motorcycle spaces, which it turns out are not available for use by resident permit-holders.
My protest to the insanity of Westminster parking services is very simple.
I suggest that everyone who is entitled to a resident’s parking permit, or already has one, goes out of their way to park in pay and display areas (which you are generally entitled to do) with whatever vehicle has the permit.
If you have one on your car, but commute by bike, move your car into a pay and display area and leave it there with a note near the permit saying “motorcycle protest” or similar.
As the pay and display areas in my street are well used and generate significant income, this will deny Westminster City Council some large fraction of £2,500 per year per parking slot (£1 an hour times 10 hours a day – in my area – times 250 days).
I apologise in advance to the white van men and others who need these spaces and are willing to pay for them, and to council tax-payers who will have to make up the difference, but you have to understand this is a protest.
I will continue to do this until Westminster parking services comes to the brilliant realisation that letting me park in a solo motorcycle slot (which are never full on my street) with a resident’s permit denies them an additional £150 a year, while letting me park in a full-size car pay and display slot on a busy street costs them some large portion of £2,500 a year.
Edward Voelcker
Grantully Road, W9
Opposition
• WESTMINSTER City Council has said Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) and the British Motorcyclists Federations (BMF) were consulted in 2007 regarding the introduction of motorcycle parking charges and that they had given their support.
They were not and have never given their support to charging for motorcycle parking.
The FAQ in the motorcycle parking of the council website states that the decision to introduce motorcycling parking charges was made after an extensive dialogue with major motorcycle groups.
MAG and BMF have now sent a joint letter to all Westminster city councillors to express their opposition to the experimental motorcycle parking tax and confirm that they had not been consulted about it.
Mark Jones
Uverdale Road,
SW10
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