News from Westminster Labour

Westminster’s motorbike charges rake in 7 times cost of extra parking

Westminster City Council’s controversial motorbike charges have raked in £2,272,000 in extra income – over seven times more than the £302,000 cost of providing extra motorbike parking bays, according to the latest figures provided by the Council.

Labour Councillors say that now that the costs of providing the extra bays have been recouped from motorbike owners, the £150 a year/£1.50 a day parking tax should be scrapped. Labour say that the £150 a year charge for a permit is equivalent to a 22% Council Tax increase.

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said:

“The costs of providing the extra motorbike parking bays has been well and truly paid for by motorbike owners – seven times over. All the extra income is simply an extra Conservative tax on motorbike owners and is totally unjustified. There is a massive campaign against the Conservative motorbike tax from Westminster residents and from motorbike commuters into Westminster living right across London. This campaign is growing daily and it will not go away.”

Costs of providing the new motorbike parking bays:

* Bays, surveys, signs and lines – £201,000
* Traffic orders – £16,300
* Security devices – £56,000
* Communications – £23,000
* Car Parks signs/lines – £6,000

Total – £302,300

Income to Westminster City Council:

* 2,612 annual permits were sold up to the end of 2008 (this includes electric annual permits which are free) totalling £388,000
* £886,529 has been received from pay by phone bike charges
* 25,015 parking tickets have been issued, of which 19,370 were due to non payment for parking. Payments to date are £998,058.65 (£742,773.61 in relation to non-payment of parking and £255,285.04 in relation to all other parking offences)

Other news from Westminster Labour

• Westminster Labour calls for an 'outbreak of democracy' over election of new council Leader - 2 February 2012
• West End Commission – open letter to Westminster's Chief Executive - 21 January 2012
• Residents pick up £1m bill for Westminster's parking fiasco - 19 January 2012