Hello all!
Thought I'd add a little bit to the discussion...
Ellie & Jaffa: you say why should a bike pay when cars have to. My answer is:
Why does a car have to pay? If you say traffic managment, then why are we (I'm a car driver as well) charged per vehicle rather than per space?
In the recent court case the protest campaign brought against Westminster, they asked WCC to justify charging bikes to park (and in essence why anyone should have to be charged). Their response (and subsequently how they got off) was "we don't have to justify it".
According to these figures the council is now making a £430,500 LOSS on the motorcycle charging scheme. Yet the private company that operates the pay-by-phone system, 'Verrus', is making a healthy profit. If you really want a laugh, have a look at the connections between WCC councilors and this company.
If car parking charges in Westminster had gone up with inflation, it would now cost 45p per hour to park. Yet it actually now costs £5 every hour. That's a 10,000% increase.
It was promised at the introduction of the charge that this would happen. Two and a half years later, and there is nothing. In fact, there is now a reduction in the number of spaces available to bikes and scooters.
According to info gained by FoI requests (as a result of being blanked by WCC officers & councilors), only 4% of bike bays now have ground anchors. They promised to roll them out across the entire borough. Since the introduction, not one single anchor has been installed.
It is precisely this sort of blatant lie that has resulted in a lot of people rising up and saying "we're not going to take this anymore."
Indeed, a lot of people feel the same as you - "why shouldn't they pay when we have to?" But I ask again,
Why do you pay?
Thought I'd add a little bit to the discussion...
Ellie & Jaffa: you say why should a bike pay when cars have to. My answer is:
Why does a car have to pay? If you say traffic managment, then why are we (I'm a car driver as well) charged per vehicle rather than per space?
In the recent court case the protest campaign brought against Westminster, they asked WCC to justify charging bikes to park (and in essence why anyone should have to be charged). Their response (and subsequently how they got off) was "we don't have to justify it".
According to these figures the council is now making a £430,500 LOSS on the motorcycle charging scheme. Yet the private company that operates the pay-by-phone system, 'Verrus', is making a healthy profit. If you really want a laugh, have a look at the connections between WCC councilors and this company.
Everything is dearer than 20 years ago it's called inflation.
If car parking charges in Westminster had gone up with inflation, it would now cost 45p per hour to park. Yet it actually now costs £5 every hour. That's a 10,000% increase.
If you are going to win anything, it will be better areas to park, marked out better and even a reduced fee as you are using very little space but I cannot see fees being abolished for bikers.
It was promised at the introduction of the charge that this would happen. Two and a half years later, and there is nothing. In fact, there is now a reduction in the number of spaces available to bikes and scooters.
According to info gained by FoI requests (as a result of being blanked by WCC officers & councilors), only 4% of bike bays now have ground anchors. They promised to roll them out across the entire borough. Since the introduction, not one single anchor has been installed.
It is precisely this sort of blatant lie that has resulted in a lot of people rising up and saying "we're not going to take this anymore."
Indeed, a lot of people feel the same as you - "why shouldn't they pay when we have to?" But I ask again,
Why do you pay?