Now motorcyclists pay to park

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At present, riders can park at the roadside free of charge, while car drivers have to pay up to £4 an hour. Motorbikes are also exempt from the C-charge.

Now 45 stands are to be installed in central London, mainly around Covent Garden, in an experiment by Westminster council.

Bikers will be able to lock their bikes to the stands, which are rigid U-shaped bars cemented into the ground.

Initially they will be free, but from next spring riders will have to pay £1.50 a day, £5 a week or £150 a year (the equivalent of 50 pence a day if they use them for 300 days).

If the trial is successful, the scheme will be extended across Westminster. But motorcycle groups warned today there would be a backlash.

Ben Purvis, a reporter at MotorCycle News,
said: "Many riders will be unhappy - motorcyclists are used to being able to park free of charge.

"Motorcycles take up far less room than cars and help cut congestion but motorcyclists are asking councils to put in extra measures that help keep their bikes secure, so maybe they have to expect to pay something towards it."

Craig Carey-Clinch of the Motor Cycle Industry Association said: "We object to motorcyclists paying to park as they are an important solution to the problem of congestion, but if this is guaranteed to remain as a nominal charge it is hard to argue that motorcyclists should not pay something."

Westminster cabinet member Danny Chalkley said: "Bikers are crying out for better parking in central London. Security is a problem but if riders can get access to a secure space, this is bound to be reduced."