‘astounding Turnout’ Expected At Westminster Tax Rally

June 29, 2009 - PRLog -- Objections to Westminster City Council’s Motorcycle Parking Charge have soared after companies associated with the motorcycle trade sent out emails to their customers alerting them to the scheme. Over 800 have been sent since the alerts went out, and many more are expected to hand in their objections by hand.

Thousands are expected to take to the streets on Wednesday evening in what is set to be an ‘astounding show of anger’, according to No To Bike Parking Tax’s Press Spokesman Charlie Lort-Phillips.

Doble Motorcyles, Infinity Scooters, and MCE Insurance emailed their customers to alert them to the new charge, which Cllr Chalkley of Westminster is attempting to push through as a ‘permanent’ scheme despite previous demonstrations involving thousands of angry bikers, residents and commuters.

Kieran Fitsall, of WCC recently tried to belittle the protests in a radio podcast, saying:

"I wouldn't consider the protests to be that large... nothing that we haven't seen before."

This was despite over 4000 bikers blocking Victoria Street in March.

Warren Djanogly, Chairman of the Campaign, said:

“We are expecting a huge swell in numbers this week, and Westminster surely have to realise that this is a wildly unpopular, ill thought out, punitive tax, which will only serve to discourage a valuable solution to London’s congestion, and discourage visitors to Westminster’s hard pressed retailers.”

There are concerns that through Partnerships in Parking, whose stated aim is to concentrate on standardising “differential charging protocols, electric vehicle, motorcycle and environmental policies”, the scheme could be sold on to other London boroughs, and set in motion a national scheme which could cost motorcyclists hundreds of millions of pounds a year nationally.

Westminster has been criticised in recent months by taxi drivers, angry at being forced to pay up to £3 to stop and take a lavatory break, residents, angry at their pre-paid residents bays being made available to pay and display, and the motorcyclists, angry at what they regard as a punitive and revenue generating tax. Their new ‘car club’ scheme has also come under fire.

Charlie Lort-Phillips, NTBPT Spokesman, said today :

“It seems that Westminster are determined to alienate and anger every road user they have! While claiming they have limited space on the one hand, and using that to justify the motorcycle charges, they are painting new bays for their ‘car club’, in apparently underused bays just across the road. It’ is utterly ridiculous behaviour, and shows how determined they are to cut a profit despite repeated, and increasingly large, democratic protests.”

Kevin Goad, meanwhile, stated in a podcast that the aim of the scheme was to ‘control’ the numbers of bikes coming into Westminster. Mr Goad’s comments fly in the face of earlier claims that the charge was in place to expand the facilities for powered two wheelers.

Security issues are now being raised, as the 3 digit security pin on credit and debit cards must now be entered for each transaction – even those paid by text -  which for riders paying on the street opens up significant personal safety and date protection issues.

Warren Djanogly said:

“Their flippant attitude to bikers having to use their telephones and cards in the street opens up the very real possibility of increased fraud and on-street crime.

There has been concern over the time window for new objections, with only 3 weeks being allowed for those against the scheme to register their opposition, and signs not being placed in the bays immediately to alert bikers to their right to object.

The next rally, timed to coincide with the deadline for objections to the amended charge, is on the evening if Wednesday 1st July.

Notes to Editors:



THE NEXT DEMONSTRATION IS TO LEAVE GOLDEN SQUARE AT 6.30PM ON 1ST JULY AND WILL PROCEED TO WESTMINSTER CITY HALL



THE PODCAST WITH THE QUOTES ABOVE REGARDING THE SIZE OF THE DEMOS AND THE NEED TO LIMIT ON STREET PARKING CAN BE FOUND HERE:



http://megamash.podomatic.com/



PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE PREVIOUS DEMONSTRATIONS CAN BE FOUND HERE:



http://www.notobikeparkingfees.com/photos/



VIDEOS OF THE PREVIOUS DEMONSTRATIONS CAN BE FOUND HERE:



http://www.youtube.com/user/ojosef



For further information on the campaign, quotes or photos, please contact Warren Djanogly, campaign chair, at:



chairman@notobikeparkingfees.com

Mobile: 07802 882 681



or Charlie Lort-Phillips (Press Spokesman) on:



07813 138 517

charlie@notobikeparkingfees.com / charlielp@mac.com





1)     The No To Bike Parking Fees protest group is the leading voice challenging the charges, and has enlisted the support of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, the Drivers’ Alliance, The British Motorcycle Federation, the Motorcycle Action Group, the AA, and thousands of bikers across the UK. Further information about the campaign can be found at www.notobikeparkingfees.com. To contact the TaxPayers’ Alliance, please contact Mark Wallace, Campaign Director of the Alliance, at:

Mark.wallace@taxpayersalliance.com
Mobile: 07736 009 548


2)     Westminster City Council’s scheme involves a parking charge of £1 a day for every motorbike or scooter. To buy an annual parking pass now costs a minimum of £100. Since its introduction in August 2008, the parking tax has raised over £4million.

3)     In the Conservative Party’s key document on economic policy, “Reconstruction: Plan for a Strong Economy”, published at the Conservative Party Conference in September 2008 and signed by David Cameron and George Osborne, the first pledge in the Conservative agenda for Tax Reform is “an end to stealth taxes.” This document can be read here: http://www.conservatives.com/~/media/Files/Downloadable%20Files/Reconstruction_-_Plan_for_a_strong_economy.ashx?dl=true

4)     In a letter in March to a supporter of the campaign, Robert Goodwill, Conservative MP for Scarborough and Whitby and Shadow Transport Minister for Roads, said ““Please note that this is not a policy set by the Conservative Party nationally but a local policy decided by Westminster councillors. I hope that this will not be replicated widely".

5)     In response to question 446/2009, Mayor Boris Johnson said about the parking tax: “I am keen to encourage the use of motorcycles in London, as evidenced by my recent announcement to allow motorcycles in bus lanes on the TLRN. I will ask TfL to discuss with Westminster as to whether the introduction of this payment has led to a reduction in the number of people using motorcycles in central London.”

6)      





Further quotes:



“To my mind, your notice (of future demonstrations) is not a warning I see it as a threat.  Bully-boy tactics until you get your own way.  A common sympton of the male species.”  - Cllr Burbridge in response to a letter of objection.



“Chalkley’s call for a legitimate protest to be halted, and Cllr Burbridge’s outrageous comments, clearly show the level to which the proponents of this tax have sunk in order to smear those opposed to it.” Warren Djanogly, NTBPF



“Please note that this is not a policy set by the Conservative Party nationally but a local policy decided by Westminster councillors. I hope that this will not be replicated widely". Robert Goodwill MP, Shadow Roads Minister



“I am keen to encourage the use of motorcycles in London, as evidenced by my recent announcement to allow motorcycles in bus lanes on the TLRN. I will ask TfL to discuss with Westminster as to whether the introduction of this payment has led to a reduction in the number of people using motorcycles in central London.” Mayor Boris Johnson in response to Question 446/2009

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The No To Bike Parking Fees protest group is the leading voice challenging the introduction of revenue raising parking charges in Westminster, with the support of the Taxpayers' Alliance and others. Further information is at www.notobikeparkingfees.com