Parking on the pavements in the City of London will now get you a ticket!

The British Motorcyclists Federation are calling for more parking spaces following the announcement that the alleyways and pavements of London’s famous square mile will soon be a no-go area for motorcycle and scooter riders seeking a free parking place.

From 22 September the City of London Corporation has announced that it will issue parking penalty charge notices to any vehicle parked on footpaths or in alleyways – but has not made any provision for extra parking.

The new penalties follow the introduction of legislation passed in July this year that, because the existing act made no reference to pavements or alleyways, effectively allowed motorcycles and scooters to be parked in the City’s many alleyways and on wider pavements without penalty.

The new Act also gives powers to allow civil enforcement officers, i.e. parking attendants, and any other authorised council officer, to remove anything obstructing the vehicle’s number plate (such as a waterproof vehicle cover) that would prevent vehicle identification.

Calling for more motorcycle parking bays, the BMF say that this latest move is short-sighted, tiny minded, will put even more pressure on the spaces available and ironically runs against the Mayor of London’s transport policy that says that there should be ‘adequate parking’ for motorcycles.


Notes:

The City of London Corporation say motorcycles and scooters can be parked free in all of the off-street public car parks in the City of London and for £4 per day in the public car parks operated by National Car Parks Ltd (NCP).