Camden Council to charge for motorcycle parking bays in 2010

[themanwithaplan]

Last year Camden Council stated that it was thinking of charging motorcycles and scooters to use motorcycle bays in the London Borough of Camden. So a couple of weeks ago I decided to email Councillor Chris Knight, who is Camden Council's Executive Member for Environment (and also rides a motorcycle), to see if Camden had changed its plans, as I thought Camden may have decided not to bother charging motorbikes after seeing the protests in Westminster. Unfortunately, it seems Camden still want to go ahead with a bike parking tax.

When I emailed Cllr Chris Knight, his assistant (Karen Martins) replied saying my message had been forwarded to 'parking', who would respond to my question. I get the feeling that Chris Knight is trying to distance himself from this [motorcycle parking fees] policy as he was the one that had all the details about it last year (other councillors in Camden pointed me in his direction) but now he needs to get his parking department to respond to my question. I guess he doesn't fancy being the Danny Chalkley of Camden.


Here is the response that I received this morning:

Dear Councillor Knight.

Thank you for your enquiry regarding if Camden will be considering charging motorcyclists parking in the motorcycle parking bays.

I can confirm that Camden will be looking into to charging motorcyclists to park in motorcycle parking bays.  We will be looking into implementing this in the next financial year.

I trust the above information is satisfactory. If you have any questions, please contact me on 0207 974 5146 or email [email protected].
Yours sincerely


Syed (Engineering) Hussain
Senior Engineer

If anyone wants to contact Chris Knight about motorcycle parking charges in Camden, his email address is [email protected] and his mobile number is 07909 887534.

[1frog]

Of course they will be looking into it ! quelle surprise !

[Ogri]

Interesting! Perhaps those who said it's not a problem as they never park in Westminster will now realise their error.

I've whizzed off a quick email:

Dear Councillor Knight,
                                I understand that despite the furore caused in the borough of Westminster by their experiment with motorcycle parking charges Camden is considering following suit.

 Could you let me know the following please ?

 Does Camden intend to convert ALL motorcycle parking bays to ones where payment will be required ?

 What will be the means of payment ?

 What will motorcyclists get for their money ?

 If I pay to park in Westminster then park in Camden later that day, will I be expected to pay again ?

 How much will one day's parking cost for a motorcycle ?

 I'm more than happy to put these questions into the form of Freedom of Information requests should no answer be forthcoming from you.

 With great appreciation,

[vespa]

Guys.. let's start now! Let's not even let this get to experimental stage.

[upyourschalkley]

Yep, start leafletting Camden now!

We need to get some facts down and start warning people so they are ready for it. I'll do some when I get a chance.

[ldn1702]

Why the f**k is an engineer responding to an email regarding motorcycle parking in Camden?

Anyway, I heard tonight from people who attended the PiP meeting this morning that the Camden Councillor who was there was against charging for motorcycle parking, and if I remember correctly, he told Danny boy off.

I think that once they realise the nightmare WCC has gone and is going through now, Camden will think twice before doing it, if they do it, especially if the PiP scheme is scrapped, because with the European Commission investigation and the potential inquiry to be carried out by the DCLG, I wouldn't be surprised if PiP becomes history soon.

[1frog]

Yep, start leafletting Camden now!

We need to get some facts down and start warning people so they are ready for it. I'll do some when I get a chance.

I have leafleted Scamden many times, poeple just don't believe that it will happen to them. What we need is a SHOCKING leaflet. SHORT SHARP AND STRAIGHT TO THE POINT.

[upyourschalkley]

Yep, maybe even with a copy of that statement from Syed Hussain on it.

[kaychanc]

Why the f**k is an engineer responding to an email regarding motorcycle parking in Camden?

Anyway, I heard tonight from people who attended the PiP meeting this morning that the Camden Councillor who was there was against charging for motorcycle parking, and if I remember correctly, he told Danny boy off.

I think that once they realise the nightmare WCC has gone and is going through now, Camden will think twice before doing it, if they do it, especially if the PiP scheme is scrapped, because with the European Commission investigation and the potential inquiry to be carried out by the DCLG, I wouldn't be surprised if PiP becomes history soon.

that's right chris knight said that camden will probably not charge for bikes!

[1frog]

I do not trust or believe what politicians say. They will tell you what you want to hear and then do something totally different.

Probably not charge ??

[kaychanc]

I do not trust or believe what politicians say. They will tell you what you want to hear and then do something totally different.

Probably not charge ??

better than nothing dude.... i have him on tape and charlie has him saying on video!

[Catwoman]

that's right chris knight said that camden will probably not charge for bikes!

"Probably" pretty much covers him I'd say. If they go ahead and do it he'd just say they didn't say they definitely wouldn't. 

C.W.

[ldn1702]

that's right chris knight said that camden will probably not charge for bikes!

I believe Councillor Chris Knight more than that engineer who answered the query. Even if the councillor is talking crap, as said above, he's been recorded and filmed saying that he won't charge bikes for parking. He'd better not anyway if he doesn't want to see his council in the same sh*t as Westminster are in now.

[kaychanc]

"Probably" pretty much covers him I'd say. If they go ahead and do it he'd just say they didn't say they definitely wouldn't. 

C.W.

we can hold him to his word by simply tell his voters that he's a two bit backstabbing piece of shit that can't tell the truth!

[upyourschalkley]

The point is though, if we believe (without a statement) Chris and do nothing then we have lost an opportunity to get going from the off. This time we would be well prepared to inform people of Camden so they are aware before any charges creep in.

If we believe him and do nothing then we lose that advantage and we can't get it back. It all depends on getting a credible statement from Camden.

[kaychanc]

The point is though, if we believe (without a statement) Chris and do nothing then we have lost an opportunity to get going from the off. This time we would be well prepared to inform people of Camden so they are aware before any charges creep in.

If we believe him and do nothing then we lose that advantage and we can't get it back. It all depends on getting a credible statement from Camden.

time to start fliering and start using up our FOI's!

[DastardlyDick]

we can hold him to his word by simply tell his voters that he's a two bit backstabbing piece of shit that can't tell the truth!

They probably already know this of course!

How do you know when a Polititian's lying?
His/her lips are moving!  

[Ogri]

It all depends on getting a credible statement from Camden.

Hence my email, which I doubt will ever be answered.

[upyourschalkley]

Yep, if it doesn't Og's then I think we should advise the two wheeled parking public

[themanwithaplan]

I received another two emails from Camden Council yesterday afternoon. Sorry for not posting them up sooner but I wasn't around this morning and had an important demo to attend yesterday evening 

I was CC'd on the following email to Syed Hussain from Roy Turner:

Syed

I didn’t say we’ll be implementing any bays next financial year! What I said is that we could not implement motorcycles bays until pay be phone had been successfully trialled. Nicolina Cooper has indicated that the pay by phone trial is likely to commence Jan-March 2010, and implemented maybe a year after that if the trial is successful. I expect that we could be investigating motorcycles charging towards the end of 2010/11, but we cannot commit to implementing any bays in 2009/10.

Regards

Roy Turner
Principal Transport Planner

Telephone: 020 7974 6389
[email protected]



Syed Hussain then sent the following email to Chris Knight (and CC'd myself):

Dear Councillor Knight

I refer to the e-mail I sent to you this morning.  Please disregard the information on that e-mail.  I apologise for using the word implementing rather than investigating.

I can confirm that we will be looking into the pay by phone trial, which is likely to commence Jan-March 2010, and implemented maybe a year after that if the trial is successful.

If you have any questions, please contact Roy Turner in the Street Policy section on 0207 974 6389 or e-mail [email protected]

Yours sincerely
 

Syed (Engineering) Hussain
Senior Engineer

Both messages were CC'd to Funmi Abiola ([email protected]), Bob Corrigan ([email protected]) and Sam Monck ([email protected]).