Local Authority Parking Enforcement
Written evidence from the British Motorcyclists Federation (PE 28)
ABOUT THE BMF:
The British Motorcyclists Federation is the UK’s oldest and largest representative body for motorcyclists having been formed in 1960 and currently having around 80,000 paying members around the United Kingdom.
Response:
Motorcyclists have considerable problems with parking and parking enforcement and the BMF would be keen to give evidence in person on this issue.
Parking enforcement is a particularly vexing issue for motorcyclists. For the most part, motorcycles are excluded from parking restrictions either explicitly with specified policies or de facto with no specific policies. However, in many parts of the country, parking controls are used for motorcycles and this can be confusing as signage and road markings do not usually indicate whether or not motorcycles can park freely or not.
You may not be surprised to hear that London is by far the worst offender for unclear signage and rules. For the most part, it is difficult in London to know in which borough you are in. This is aggravated by "historic" signs referring to boroughs such as St Pancras or Bermondsey which haven’t existed since the 1960s. Then of course, there are the overlapping authorities such as Transport for London controlled roads and borough roads.
To further confuse motorcyclists, each local authority has its own rules on where and when motorcycles can park and whether or not there is a charge. Frequently there can be a significant difference between parking restrictions on, for example, residents bays in neighbouring boroughs with one borough allowing free motorcycle parking and another not allowing any at all. Sometimes there is a difference between parts of the same local authority with a rule in one controlled parking zone being different to another. These variable rules are never signposted and most authorities refer you to the council website when asked.
Off street parking is as much a lottery with one car park charging motorcycles and others having free dedicated parking, charging a different rate for motorcycles or allowing motorcycles to share bays and there is of course often little signage to indicate what the rules are or where the next facility is. In many cases, the rules vary by car park, let alone local authority with private companies operated parking causing just as much confusion as local authorities.
A further source of confusion is the rules on parking on pavements and footways. Inside London, parking on pavements is forbidden, whereas outside the capital it is often allowed provided there is no obstruction. In much of the world, parking on pavements is perfectly normal for motorcyclists and London seems to be unique in insisting that no pavement parking take place even if no obstruction is taking place. This ban includes parking on private property which is also illegal if the public could expect access.
To finally throw in even more confusion, every local authority in the world allows some form of free on street parking, with the exception of Westminster City Council which insists on charging motorcyclists a fee. Naturally, this is quite confusing to visitors. This policy will tend to increase congestion by reducing the incentive to change from cars to motorcycles and was intended to reduce parking demand following the introduction of the Congestion Charge (motorcycles were excluded from the Congestion Charge to encourage modal shift). To add insult to injury, the only way to pay for this parking is by mobile phone and credit card, which may be perfectly convenient when inside a roofed vehicle, but is significantly less so when wearing a helmet and gloves and standing in the rain.
In terms of broader policy, many local authorities openly admit, off the record, that parking revenue is used to offset spending on road maintenance and other expenditure and therefore is considered a source of income. Unfortunately, this has led to a mentality that revenue must be maximized and it is strange that a key element of transport and environmental policy will often be found in the council’s finance department rather than highways and transportation. From a road user group perspective, parking policies seem to have more to do with bringing in money than they do with alleviating congestion.
Finally, motorcycles are easily stolen due to their size and light weight with thieves being able to move the bike into a van before stripping for parts or even a gang of teenagers pushing the bike down a street. Therefore, motorcyclists generally require anchor points for parking so that a chain can be used. This can quite often restrict the places where motorcycles are parked. It should not be ignored that these stolen motorcycles are often involved in accidents or are used in other crimes.
In summary the BMF recommends that:
A Strategic Guidance document is produced which highlights good practice and includes the specific contribution that motorcycle use can make once conditions for motorcyclists are improved.
As a counter measure against congestion and as a more environmentally friendly travel option, motorcycles should be encouraged through free and adequate secure parking; this will help reduce congestion by encouraging larger vehicle users to switch to motorcycles as a more cost effective alternative.
Motorcycles should be allowed to be parked on the pavement where no obstruction is taking place.
If dedicated spaces for motorcycles are provided, then there must be adequate security to reduce theft and ideally motorcyclist friendly facilities including lockers and cover.
Motorcycle parking policies should be consistent across the country, or at the very least obvious to those wishing to park .
March 2013
