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Motorbikers ready to protest bike parking charges
Motorcyclists are threatening to paralyse sections of London's road network today in a protest over Westminster Council's trial of parking charges.
Around 1,000 bikers are expected to descend on the heart of the capital during this evening's rush hour creating major delays for motorists and commuters on their journeys home from work.
The demonstration is in response to a scheme being trialled by Westminster's parking bosses whereby for a maximum of £1.50 per day, motorcyclists can park in a dedicated bay anywhere in the borough.
The charge may be reduced to £1 if the scheme is made permanent.
Today's protestors are set to gather at Trafalgar Square at 5pm before taking part in a "go-slow" to Westminster City Hall in Victoria Street, Victoria.
Residents and local businesses are being warned by the council to expect significant disruption.
A smaller protest last month, in which around 500 riders attended, resulted in road closures and traffic chaos in the area.
Westminster Council's cabinet member for environment and transport Danny Chalkley said: "As a council we do not shy away from robust debate and we of course support people's right to protest peacefully against policies they may not agree with, but this demonstration is a complete overreaction to what is still an experimental scheme.
"On the last time a demonstration took place 23 bus routes were affected and police had to be called to Westminster City Hall.
"We are happy to accept and deal with lawful and peaceful protest but we do not believe that it is reasonable for a minority of London's motorcycle community to disrupt thousands of Londoners as they make their way home or to events across the capital."
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this demonstartion only shows that people had enough of beeing charged for everything in westminster. Westinster parking charges are the most expensive on the whole planet, so something has to be done against it. although our electric scooter do not apply for parking charges in Westminster, we strongly support the bikers protest!
Martin from Eco Scooter Direct.
"The demonstration is in response to a scheme being trialled by Westminster's parking bosses whereby for a maximum of £1.50 per day, motorcyclists can park in a dedicated bay anywhere in the borough."
What a bold faced Orwellian lie!
A significant point is that a motorcyclist CANNOT use the same charge payment for every bay in the borough. They would pay £1.50 for Each bay they park in during EACH & very day.
Couriers, supposedly allowed 20 minutes for each drop off, are always immediately tickets and have to produce individual invoices for each drop in order to defend parking penalties. Motorcycle courier operators typically do not operate such an invocing scheme.
This response from Westminster Council was initiated from Tony Blair himself after sight of a major petition to provide more free 2 wheel parking in London to reduce congestion.
The gangster operaters, worried about opening the floodgates to free parking, needed to quickly nip the idea of free parking for low congestion vehicles in the bud.
This agenda has been supported by a national scheme of road work changes designed to narrow town centre roads in order to increase danger to cyclists & motorcyclists in an effort to dissuade the rising numbers of commuters who choose two wheel transport.
The ruling establishment rely upon congestion to boost the reliance on oil in order to maintain its price. This is one reason that the Falkland Island oil fields have not been released into the market.