MAG activists in London are campaigning to save big money for motorcyclists in Lewisham. Proposed motorcycle parking charges were set to be the same as those for cars. MAG activists and Save London Motorcycling rallied support from Lewisham’s motorcyclists and worked with the Council to dramatically revise the proposed charges.
Lewisham Council first proposed a new parking charge structure in the summer of 2019. They claimed the need to tackle air quality as the principle justification for the charging regime. The consultation said that the proposals would “ensure that low emission vehicle owners will see charges reduce, while those who own the most polluting vehicles will pay the most.”
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.
MAG’s Greater London spokesman, Spen McEvoy, commented:
“This is a great victory for common sense. We would have been paying the same charges as vastly more polluting cars. We are delighted that we have made such a significant intervention on behalf of riders in the Borough”
The Council will apply a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) to implement the charges. The TRO is subject to a statutory three-week consultation, but the implementation is expected to take place later this year.