It looks as though the new mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, despite a campaign promise to allow free motorcycle parking to continue in the city, is going back on that and planning to implement paid bike parking in some areas. This idea has been around for a while but has never been brought in before in Paris, although in some areas, Vincennes for example, motorcyclists do have to pay to park. The fees are not high at the moment and a lot less than car drivers have to pay, but nevertheless it is a slippery parking slope.

The Fédération Française des Motards en Colère Paris Petite Couronne (FFMC PPC) is planning the fight back against this measure and has a 20,000 signature petition against paid motorcycle parking, and has organised demonstrations against it too.

This all begs the question, is this a trend which will spread to the UK? Well yes indeedy, in fact in some areas it has already come in or is planned! Camden for example is going to charge - £6 per day for a motorcycle to park in a motorcycle only parking bay. While this may not seem much as a one off,  if you need to park daily for work for example, it really would mount up incrementally to a substantial sum annually!

Westminster already charges £1 a day for motorcycle parking, but uses the money raised to fight motorcycle crime and anti-social behaviour.

Do you have any thoughts on this? Is it fair to charge motorcyclists to park as car drivers are already being charged? Or does it discourage motorcycling in cities, when this is a great solution to traffic flow problems and safe travel in these days of social distancing?

We'd love to know what you think, email [email protected] or drop us a message on Facebook.