Motorcyclists keep up pressure on council over ‘fundamentally unjust’ parking charges

Motorcyclists protest on the Town Hall steps. Photograph: Julia Gregory

Motorcyclists said they feel like they “don’t belong” as they again asked Hackney Council’s to rethink “some of the highest parking charges in the world”.

Campaigners from Save London Motorcycling staged a drive-past in front of Hackney Town Hall as they called on politicians to reconsider proposals to base new parking charges on vehicle emissions.

The council has approved a new enforcement scheme from next spring that includes motorbikes and electric motorbikes.

Campaigners handed in a petition signed by 7,800 people.

Karen Neill, winner of a British Biking Hero award, said the charges mean commuting motorcyclists will have to pay £6 an hour for short-stay parking, which could add up to £14,000 a year.

“Charging bikes the same as cars is fundamentally unjust,” she said. “Motorcycles don’t contribute to congestion, which reduces emissions for every vehicle on the road. They take up far less parking space, which allows kerbside space to be freed up for other uses.”

She added: “As a result of the mistaken decision to align bike parking prices with cars, Hackney now faces a policy which will see some of the lowest impact vehicles on the road discouraged.

“Riders are going to be charged astronomical prices to park, far more than any other local authority charges.

“The lack of a suitable commuter pass means an effective ban on commuting by motorcycle in Hackney.

“Motorcycles are a clean, low-cost, low impact commuting mode which the council is turning into a high-cost mode overnight with this policy.”

The protesters stage a drive-past. Photograph: Julia Gregory

She warned the policy could see some motorcyclists driven to get into a car instead.

She said: “How can you do this to working people, not just people who live in Hackney, but people who commute into Hackney?

“The transport system is overloaded in London, we all know that, it’s expensive, it can’t cope with the people already on it.”

She added: “It’s like we don’t belong. That’s what’s happening all over London. If you’re working class, and you work, and you drive, you don’t fit in here any more.”

She said commuters are facing “probably one of the highest parking charges in the world”.

Katie Killip, who rides an electric motorbike and runs a business in Hackney, explained that the new charges could lead to her using Uber to cut costs, but it would increase her commute.

She said:  “Another effect of the charges would be I’d no longer be able to nip out to use local businesses who currently provide things like print services to me. I would have to look for online vendors who would likely deliver by van.”

Hackney Mayor Philip Glanville said: “We made a pledge to be the most walking- and cycling-friendly borough in London, cut the number of miles driven on our roads and tackle toxic air pollution.”

He added: “That means always prioritising the cleanest forms of transport – walking, cycling and public transport – and then treating other private transport options based on their tailpipe emissions, with a surcharge on diesel vehicles.”

Campaigners say the changes could lead to more of them using cars. Photograph: Julia Gregory

Mayor Glanville said putting motorcycles “on the same footing as all other vehicles with permit prices based on emissions they produce will help us deliver on those pledges”.

He said the council increased the charging bands from three to seven after listening to motorcyclists, with bikes and mopeds under 125cc getting a permit of £1.30 a week.

It followed a consultation with more than 5,000 replies, he said.

“I am confident that two-wheeler drivers in Hackney will face affordable permit charges.”

He added: “We will not facilitate commuter parking on Hackney’s streets.”

However, he promised to discuss the petition at cabinet and said if the charges caused problems they could be revisited.

Green councillor Alastair Binnie-Lubbock suggested the cabinet reviews the evidence, winning backing from the Conservative group, but this was voted down by the majority Labour group.

Commenting afterwards, campaigners said they were “absolutely gobsmacked” by the move.

They said they have told the council that its evidence about carbon emissions from motorbikes is “wrong” and based on a study that looked at obsolete bikes.

Motorcyclists said a government report found motorbikes emit four times less harmful nitrogen dioxide per mile than cars.