Lewisham Borough Council hopes that reduced parking charges for motorcycles will encourage a switch from cars to motorcycles. Parking charges were originally proposed to be the same for cars and motorcycles. Interventions by London MAG persuaded the Council of the case to incentivise modal shift from cars to motorcycles.
As originally proposed, the charging scheme would have seen motorcyclists paying up to £3.50 per hour for short-stay parking. Residents with motorcycles would have been shelling out up to £125 for a resident’s permit. Additionally, riders using their bikes to earn a living would have faced bills of up to £625 for an all-zone business permit.
Thanks to the work of MAG’s London members and Save London Motorcycling the revised charges are reducing to a far more palatable 80p per hour or £2 per day. Resident motorcyclists will be able to get permits for just £20-£42 per year, and business permits for riders are slashed to £50-£125 per year. Electric motorcycles will park for free.
Implementation has been delayed but the new charges are now expected to come into effect from 30th May 2022.
Council documents state:
Although they do emit harmful pollutants, motorcycles do not pollute as heavily as other vehicles, and they are a stepping-stone in the right direction as they are less polluting than cars. The new proposed pricing structure reflects this, and it is hoped that the reduced charges will still incentivise movement away from cars and towards motorcycles. As technology advances, it is hoped that both car/van and motorcycle owners will move towards electric vehicles.
MAG’s Greater London spokesman, Spen McEvoy, commented:
“We would have preferred continued free parking for all motorcycles, but we have to be realistic. I thank the Council for listening and accepting the case for motorcycling. Continued growth in motorcycle sales shows that there is a growing appetite for making the switch from sitting in stationary cars to making safe progress on a motorcycle. The more this is encouraged the greater the benefits that all Londoners will reap.”