Riders’ rights group the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) is celebrating a win for motorcycle and scooter users in Hackney. The London Borough Council had been in a long-running legal battle after introducing massive bike parking charges of up to £12,500 a year. The proposals, introduced in the midst of Covid lockdowns in 2020, were part of a plan to explicitly discourage bike commuter parking in the borough and drew immediate protests, including local grassroots organisation, Save London Motorcycling (SLM). And it’s that group, along with the NMC and members of the BMF (British Motorcyclists Federation) and TRF (Trail Riders Fellowship), which has won an out-of-court agreement with the council that sees parking for bikes cut to just £1.20-£2.60, residents’ permits for £38 and free parking for electric bikes.
NMC executive director Craig Carey-Clinch said: “This was a tough and technically detailed campaign with a successful result given the scale of the original charging proposals. The NMC and its members, the BMF and TRF, were very happy to support SLM as each stage of the campaign unfolded. We strongly welcome the outcome and congratulate Save London Motorcycling on its success. A clear message has been sent to other local authorities who may be entertaining thoughts of imposing disproportionate motorcycle parking charges.”
This outcome leaves Camden exposed as the most expensive place in London to own a motorcycle, says the NMC. The London borough’s residents are currently forced to pay a minimum of £146 per year for a petrol permit, and even zero-emissions electric motorcycles face a £110 annual charge.
More cash, same potholes
The NMC also reveals a near-£19bn backlog of road repairs in England and Wales. The figure comes from a report by the Asphalt Industry Association (AIA), the snappily titled Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey. The AIA says that additional investment from both central government and local authorities’ own sources has led to a 17% increase in average highway maintenance budgets in England and Wales, yet only marginal improvements in road conditions have been reported. Craig Carey-Clinch said: “The Pothole Partnership – a campaign group comprising British Cycling, the NMC, JCB and the AA – feels that the findings of this year’s ALARM report underline the need for all pothole repairs to have longevity.”