The political silly season is over, and the Motorcycle Action Group is pushing for riders’ rights in London once more. The riders’ rights organisation is working with fellow campaigners Save London Motorcycling (SLM) to crowd-fund legal action against Hackney Council’s bike parking charges, an issue which has been dragging on for four years and will see bikes charged up to £10 per day for parking in the borough.
MAG director Colin Brown said: “It is shocking that motorcyclists feel the need to resort to expensive legal action on such an issue. Encouraging a shift from cars to motorcycles is a simple way to achieve the goals that all councils seek in their parking strategies. The unwillingness of councillors in Hackney to listen to reasonable, evidence-based arguments from the people they are elected to represent is depressing. Good policymaking requires pragmatism and compromise – both qualities seem to be severely lacking in Hackney.”
MAG is also fighting against proposed charges for motorcycles to use the new Silvertown tunnel when it’s built. The group says riders will take long detours to avoid charges, reducing safety, and it says bikes should be able to use the planned new Lower Thames crossing free of charge. Colin Brown said: “MAG has been engaging with the Silvertown Tunnel project consultations for over a decade. We have repeatedly made it clear that the logical outcome is for motorcycles to be exempt from charges. There is no way that TfL can claim that they were not given time or opportunity to analyse the pros and cons of our argument.”