UPDATE *Response sent – read the full BMF response here

The British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) has joined forces with the Motorcyclists Action Group (MAG) to fight illogical and ill-conceived proposals by the local Council to introduce emission-based parking charges for motorcycles across Bath and North East Somerset.

The BMF is working closely with MAG and other interested parties, including the National Motorcyclist’s Council (NMC), to fight proposals by the council that will see small mopeds charged the same to park as the average family car and motorcycles over 600cc charged the same parking fee as a 3 litre straight-six diesel Range Rover.

BMF’s Regional Representative Carenza Ellery has joined up with her MAG regional counterpart, Geoff Mills to put together a joint campaign to fight the proposed changes which are illogical and contradict the Council’s own Transport Delivery Action Plan 2020-2036 which recognises the critical part low-emission transport options, such as motorcycles, will play in the Council’s plans to reduce congestion and harmful emissions across the region.

BMF’s Regional Rep Carenza Ellery said: “BMF and MAG Regional Representatives recently met with local councillors to discuss their motorcycle parking proposals. It was quickly evident that these proposals are driven more from a need by the Council to raise additional revenue rather than to address specific climate issues as they claim. Motorcycles contribute just 0.46% to the UK’s domestic transport emissions and have an important transitional role to play in the Uk’s wider acceleration to Net Zero, as well as offering a viable solution to congestion issues in our towns and cities. To propose to charge some motorbikes the same price to park as a 3 litre SUV is complete madness. We need to work together across the motorcycling community to stop these proposals in their tracks.”

Bath and NE Somerset Council have launched a public consultation on their parking proposals which closes on 8 August 2024. You can access the consultation via the following link here to join the fight and register your objections.

Wider information on this issue can be found in the BMF news article “Motorcycle Parking Charges-BATH” issued on 4 April 2024.

Written by Paul Morgan CBE – BMF Government Relations Executive

Top image courtesy of Lāsma Artmane – Unsplash