A motorcyclist has blasted Plymouth City Council after free motorbike parking bays were removed and new ‘shoddy’ ones created elsewhere.
The biker, who has asked not to be named, has criticised the authority after he discovered a large number of free parking spaces for motorcycles along Armada Way in front of the Guildhall and along Guildhall Square, had been removed and double-yellow lines put in place.
He told PlymouthLive: “Plymouth’s often been regarded by motorcyclists as a ‘biker-friendly’ city, because for many years it’s had a number of free parking spaces around the city centre.
“Even some of the private parking places, like down on the Barbican, near Cap’n Jaspers, is specifically free to bikers.
“It’s only recently they started to clamp down on free parking, by making bikers pay to park in pay and display spaces – which means gobbling up the entire space for a car and just having single bike on it.
Motorcyclist has criticised Plymouth City Council’s decision to get rid of large motorcycle parking around Guildhall and move it to much smaller site in Princess Street
(Image: Carl Eve/PlymouthLive)
“The free parking for motorbikes and scooters has been in place at the front and side of the Guildhall for many years without issue. However, since the work on the Guildhall has begun, hoardings have been put up, the markings for the motorcycle parking has been erased and double yellow lines have been put in place.
“The two stretches had spaces for around a dozen or more bikes and scooters.”
Motorcyclist has criticised Plymouth City Council’s decision to get rid of large motorcycle parking around Guildhall and move it to much smaller site in Princess Street
(Image: Carl Eve/PlymouthLive)
“In its place, the council has decided to use a small bicycle parking area at the back of the Civic Centre, for motorbikes. The irony is that the council added secure bars to the little patch just a couple of years ago for cyclists to lock their bikes to – despite them rarely using them – and had parking enforcement staff threatening motorcyclists every time they parked there, because there was no dropped kerb.”
The motorcyclist said city engineers have dropped the kerb at the entrance end of the Civic car park, removed the secure cyclists bars and painted “motorcycles only” at one end of the space.
He said: “What’s ridiculous is it’s only got room for about five or six bikes. And the side closest to the pavement there’s a steep camber, so any motorbike parked there will just tip over.
Council have also had to lower the kerb after years of parking attendants warning motorcyclists from using “cycle ony” space
(Image: Carl Eve/PlymouthLive)
“It takes a special kind of idiocy to remove free parking space for a dozen or more motorbikes, then fork out public money to drop a kerb they previously wouldn’t do, rip out recently installed bicycle bars, and then offer up about five spaces on a shoddy spot of ground.
“Whichever department did this clearly did no research on motorcycle parking and failed to consult a single biker.”
What the council said about the situation
A council spokesperson said: “A number of car parking spaces were relocated to bays along Princess Street and motorcycle parking moved to a space at the entrance to the Civic car park.
“This was part of the Civic Square project and designed to reduce street clutter and improve the setting of the Guildhall when the current restoration is complete.
“The new motorcycle parking area remains free.”
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