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LOSING THE PLOT – BIKE SPACES BEING CONVERTED
Please can you spread the word as the vast majority of bikers are NOT aware that FREE biking bays are to be converted into PERMIT bays.
A sign placed on a lamp post this week informed me that the borough are proposing to change current FREE motorcycle parking bays to permit holder parking bays. The sign states that any objections to this proposal should be placed in writing and sent to the following address before 5 January 2007:
Project Centre, Saffron Court, 14b St Cross Street, London, EC1N 8XA
Having spoken to many biker friends in this area I soon became aware that no body was aware of such proposals. So I have taken it upon myself to disseminate such proposals to as many bikers as possible.
I have contacted Peter Weeden at the council who has provided a map of the proposed changes. From what I have seen, the majority of current biking bays are to be converted to permit bays only. They are proposing to build ONLY 3 new free motorcycle bays in the whole of the borough. Approximately only 50 existing bays in the whole of the largest borough in London will remain as free motorcycle bays. Their assumptions for the changes are based on fiction and not fact. According to Mr Weeden, the assessment team assumed that any bike seen parked in a bay overnight was a resident. The team were, obviously, unable to check this, and so have no accurate idea of the amounts of non-residents staying overnight in the borough.
These changes to current motorcycle parking are proposed to be rolled out across London which I believe will create chaos to every motorcyclist who bikes from one borough to another. It is a tax directly aimed at bikers simply to raise revenue for councils.
Further, I have made contact with many biking organisations including ACE Cafe, MCN MAG, BMF, MotorcycleParking.com and local newspapers in the hope that bikers will be made aware of this situation, and I hope many will object in writing to above address.
Parking bikes in London is already difficult, and these proposals will add to this problem. I have begun to place small leaflets on bikes in Kensington and Chelsea to make the owners aware of the situation. Hundreds are emailing me asking for more information as they wish to object. Their feelings are very strong and many are outraged and angry that they have only just been made aware of the proposed changes by reading my leaflet. I attach my initial thoughts relating to objections people can use if they wish to write to the Project Centre
I believe strongly that bikers who visit London will be put off as parking will become so much of an issue. Bikers from everywhere will be affected.
Can you if at all possible spread the word to bikers that councils are proposing such a change to the way motorbikes can park.
There seems to be a further sting in the tale. I have probed deeper only to discover that the current bike permit costing £18 will rise by a massive 278% if these proposals are introduced. New permits will cost £50 each!
I am attempting to discover if the councils original policy of only allowing two permits per household is still valid. If this is the case I'm buggered. I have a car, and both myself and my partner have bikes. So, 3 permits!
This is simply a revenue earner isn't it?
If you require further information please do get in contact.
Many thanks for your support and cooperation,
Rob & Catherine
Sample letter
Your name
Your address
Project Centre
Saffron Court
14b St Cross Street
London
EC1N 8XA
Date
Dear Sir/Madam,
Objection: Review of Motorcycle Parking in the Royal Borough Kensington & Chelsea
I have only just been alerted to your proposals relating to motorcycle parking charges. I strongly object to your proposals, for the following reasons:
- Road Congestion : If I am forced to buy a bike permit I will be left with no other option but to revert back to using my car and selling my bike. We are constantly hearing about the importance of reducing congestion in London. This change to bike parking will add to congestion as more bikers will return to using their cars.
- Parking congestion: Motorbikes are currently entitled to buy a parking permit, which enables them to park in car parking bays. If motorcyclists are required to purchase a residents permit they will have no incentive to park in motorbike bays, but will park wherever is most convenient. This will cause further congestion to the already oversubscribed residents parking bays for car owners. It will also put more, not less, bikes at risk of damage from reversing cars.
- Inadequate provision of free bays for visitors: Visiting bikers will find it very difficult if not impossible to find a bike location to park. Current proposals indicate that insufficient free bike bays will be made available in commercial areas, and very few, if any, in residents areas. Although the council claim that bikers will be able to park within a one minute walk of their local residents parking bay, visitors may typically have to walk at least 15 minutes to bays situated in notorious crime spots. The bays which remain free will therefore be oversubscribed.
- This is a stealth tax directly aimed at bikers in London. It is discriminatory and I believe contravenes my human rights.
- Inadequate estimation of commercial requirements: Many employees who travel from outside the borough use motorcycles to get to work as it eases the congestion currently seen on the roads. Your proposals to change the current motorcycling parking will adversely affect these employees and will force them to find alternative means of getting to work as there will be insufficient free motorcycling spaces.
- Unrealistic usage assumptions: I object to your ridiculous assumptions made about the use of motorcycle parking bays. These assumptions are not based on fact but have clearly been created to support the council’s proposals. These are not based on fact, but have clearly been created to back the council’s proposals. For example, how can you, with any degree of certainty, determine whether a bike left in a bay overnight is a resident or a visitor?
- Concealment: The council has made minimal effort to inform bikers of these proposals and appears to have actively attempted to conceal these proposals. Every biker I have spoken to is not aware of the proposed changes to motorcycle parking. The council’s efforts to inform the interested public fall well short of what is necessary under law. There has been negligible effort in contacting the people who will be most affected by the proposed changes,
Signage The only signs visible in the area are typically single sheets posted on lampposts at the end of streets and well away from motorbike bays. These signs are dated as 7th December, and yet were not posted on the streets until significantly after this date.
Web based information Not currently posted on the Council’s webpage. Apparently this is “too difficult”. Especially if there is no political will to get the message out.
Local advertising The local press is not adequately distributed, and its readership is very low. No adverts have been placed in the main London press – ie Metro and the Evening Standard.
Timescales Proposing this kind of far reaching and significant change to current policies over the Christmas period, when many are away, or busy, is a typical way of camouflaging what will undoubtedly be an extremely unpopular and undemocratic change. If this proposed change is to be of benefit to bikes, as your proposal claims, then surely you should be advising bikers of the benefits, rather than concealing the proposed change.
- Congestion charge effect: Any assessment carried out on the bike usage will have been prior to the congestion charge extension. The desired affect of the congestion charge is claimed to be the reduction of congestion. In an interview with the London Standard: “Both motorcycles and scooters are exempt from the congestion charge as they do not cause congestion. The Mayor wishes to make it crystal clear that he has absolutely no intention whatsoever of making scooters and motorcycles pay the congestion charge...”. As motorbikes are exempt from the congestion charge, it is reasonable to assume that many road users will change their method of transport into the borough, and will begin to use motorbikes and scooters rather than cars. Current proposals have clearly not taken this effect into consideration and significantly underestimate the demand for free bays available to visitors.
- Emissions: Motorbikes release fewer environmentally harmful emissions into the atmosphere. In an age where most councils and governments are attempting to persuade their populations to cut back on harmful emissions, the Royal borough appears to be actively discouraging drivers to take a more responsible approach to the environment.
Your proposals are unrealistic, unworkable and ultimately this a stealth tax directly aimed at motorcyclists.
I strongly object to this unfair and undemocratic proposed change.
Please confirm that you have received this letter and keep me updated on the progress of this proposal.
Yours faithfully-
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