Next scooter and bike parking demonstration
As Westminster council decided to make it’s lucrative bike parking tax permanent the No To Bike Parking Taxes campaign group have arranged another central London demonstration tomorrow lunch time. Riders have been asked to provide their mobile phone numbers by subscribing on the official campaign website. This Thursday protestors will be waiting for a text message giving the location for the start of the demonstration, which is scheduled for 1pm. Protestors are advised to be in the vicinity of central London.
We can see some irony in the campaigners choice to use SMS text messages to promote the campaign, as this is the method that Westminster Councillors expect riders to pay for on-street parking. Earlier in the week those already subscribed to the No To list received a test message asking them to reply with the word ‘yes’. Within in few minutes campaign organisers say they received over 300 replies. Obviously the campaign group are not using the same SMS service as the notoriously crap Verrus Pay-By-Phone system which Westminster Council has forced on riders, as all texts arrived from campaign headquarters within just a few minutes of dispatch.
On the day of the demo once all riders have assembled they plan to ride down to Conservative Party HQ on Londons Millbank. But all riders without access to a mobile phone can either make arrangements to meet up on the campaigns forum, or arrive at Millbank for 1:30pm.
The choice of Conservative Party HQ is because in the recent past the Tory party have been very quick to accuse the Labour Government of introducing stealth taxes, yet when their own Tory controlled flagship borough do the same, not a word is said against them. So charges of hypocrisy will no doubt be thrown at the Torys. Most people are now well aware that the vast majority of MP’s from both sides of the house are either supportive of Westminster Council or turning a blind eye. There is just too much money for whatever flavour of local council to be gained from this new stealth tax. Eyes are now beginning to focus on Camden who are believed to be keen on introducing the bike tax next. Judging by the recent crop of ground anchors appearing in bays around Camden it looks like they are attempting to offset accusations of revenue raising by pointing to these hardly used security devices.
Other councils to watch are Tower Hamlets Council who dumped their previous pay-by-phone provider in favour of Verrus. Verrus moved into Tower Hamlets without even the need to tender for the contract. But what is odd is that Tower Hamlets Council are not able to provide any documentation of even having become a member of the now infamous Partnerships in Parking quango set up by Westminster Council. It would not be difficult for any council using the Verrus pay-by-phone system to quickly introduce charges for PTW parking. How many cash strapped councils do you think would be able to resist?
Riders on the continent also need to be alert, as the Verrus virus has moved to Paris. 5000 car parking bays in the suburb of Issy-les-Mouline is the first sign of pay-by-phone in France. We wonder if there is a Monsieur Rathbone in France. Remember it started in Westminster with the cars, then the scooters and bikes followed.
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The official Forum can be found here http://forum.notobikeparkingtax.com
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we must find a cure to the verrus cancer !
I’m just waiting for the SMS text message to arrive on my mobile phone at 12:30 and then I’m off to protest on my moped. Let’s show the money grabbing Conservatives in Westminster City Council what we are made of and of course David Cameron and the rest of his lot at Tory HQ. Charging Powered Two Wheelers (PTW) for parking in motorcycle bays is not the answer to London’s congestion problems. Boris Johnson has allowed bikes in TfL red route bus lanes but the rest of the Conservative Party seem to think we (bikers) are second class citizens.
NO TO BIKE PARKING TAXES!
We’ll let them know today that we’re not going away and we’re not playing their games.
That article says it, no matter what party is in power they are all seduced by the parking cash, they all need to know we mean business.