Bikers lose fight against £1 charge

Motorcyclists yesterday lost a High Court battle over the £1-a-day parking fee in central London.

Two judges ruled that the levy is not simply a device for Westminster Council to raise revenue.

They also threw out claims by leaders of the "No To Bike Parking Tax" campaign that the council had not carried out a full consultation before introducing the scheme.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Campaign chairman Warren Djanogly had accused the council of acting outside its powers and claimed the fees were unlawful.

Mr Djanogly, 47, a management consultant who rides a Yamaha 1300 Midnight Star, said the legal cost of the battle was being met by donations from more than 700 campaigners, many of whom packed the court during the hearing and judgment. Lee Rowley, Westminster Council's cabinet member for parking and transportation, said in a statement: "Our decision to charge bikers 1 per day to park has been rigorously scrutinised, open to widespread public debate and has now been tested in the High Court.

"We have always maintained that with huge demand for on-street space in Westminster, charging motorcyclists a small sum to park was reasonable and fair and I'm glad the judge has reiterated this."

The council said it would seek to recover its legal costs of 50,000.

Lord Justice Pitchford ruled that budgeting for a modest surplus did not invalidate the scheme or mean there was an ulterior motive in charging motorcyclists.