Motorcycle riders score free parking

Motorcycle and scooter users have won twelve months of free parking under a City of Sydney plan to improve conditions for city riders.

At the heart of the plan is a one-year trial exempting riders from
buying and display a parking ticket in timed areas, enabling riders to park in spaces that are available to car drivers.

City of Sydney spokesperson Josh MacKenzie acknowledged that the changes could lead to greater competition for parking spaces. ‘But parking has always been at a premium in Sydney,’ he said. ‘What Council is trying to do is encourage more sustainable forms of transport.’

With growing numbers of motorcycles and scooters on Sydney’s roads, the council surveyed nearly 1,000 riders about travel patterns, problems and possible improvements.

The report concluded that motorcycles and scooters represented a
fuel-efficient, low-cost and low-emission alternative to traditional
private vehicle use. However, riders face major obstacles accessing affordable parking within city limits, significant vehicle security issues and personal safety risks.

Difficulty accessing parking in timed areas has been a long standing grievance of most riders, with the report describing the requirement to display a ticket as ‘arguably the most significant impediment to riders who do not have a secure dashboard in which to display a parking ticket, so they risk being fined and resort to parking on footpaths and in building foyers.’

Until November 2009, riders will no longer need to buy or display a
ticket in timed areas. For Guy Stanford of the NSW Motorcycle Council the trial is a welcome change. ‘We are most appreciative of this move. The number of motorcycles and scooters has increased by a third over the past five years. We hope the Council will roll out more spaces in the future,’ he said.

The City has also created more than 100 new untimed parking spaces for motorbikes and scooters, adding to the 700 already available.

The cost of resident parking permits for motorbikes and scooters has been further reduced, with riders paying half the price of standard car permits.

The plan foreshadows more vehicle security, better access to off street parking options, improving rider safety and advocacy for more equitable and convenient tolling arrangements for motorcyclists.