Ben Pearson speakng at Monday’s full council meeting

MOTORBIKE riders have accused Camden of increasing their permit charges simply to raise cash for the council under the guise of clean air policies.

It was claimed at a full council meeting on Monday that Camden’s green agenda was masking a broader drive to “balance the books” with money from motorcyclists.

In deputation at the all-member session, Ben Pearson, from Save London Motorcycling, said there was no evidence the charges – some are of which are nearly doubling – would improve carbon emissions and suggested they may even push people into using higher polluting cars instead.

“Increasing Camden’s motorcycle permit prices when they’re already the highest in London, so that motorcyclists pay the same as some SUVs is not exactly fair or proportionate,” he said.

“Perhaps we can turn to what several councillors have told their constituents concerned about the charge. They told them in face to face meetings that the council needed these charges to balance the books.”

Some residents’ permits are jumping from £75 to £146 year, while other fees and charges are being introduced or are going up.

Mr Pearson told council chiefs: “Perhaps the council simply doesn’t like us,” and later added: “We’re the most vulnerable road users… instead of improving our safety we’re being driven off the roads and the council has already been doing this over the last five years.

“The council has removed motorbike parking at three times the rate it’s removed car parking.”

“It knows these charges won’t improve emissions or safety but doesn’t much care – the council simply wants to make some extra money. The council must make clear that the order they’ve produced is intended to fund statutory services by disproportionately charging a group of residents they don’t like – or they can withdraw the order.”

Conservative group leader Councillor Stephen Adams said the “latest huge hike is iniquitous”, adding: “Camden should reconsider this metaphorical direction of travel. The punitive increase in parking charges for motorcycles smacks of a disapproval of ownership of any private means of transport.”

Lib Dem councillor Matthew Kirk said: Motorbikes are a less good transport choice than walking cycling and public transport but they are far better than cars either in terms of carbon, air quality congestion.
or parking footprint.”

Labour council leader Councillor Richard Olszewski said that comments on finances had been “a fair explanation of the context in which the council finds generally about its finances” – but this was not the motive for the increased charges.

He told the meeting the charges were an environmental measure but also to “make space for active travel”, telling the meeting: “I’ll give you one line which is the road users most at risk from road traffic are pedestrians – that’s the Highway Code.

“I can appreciate that changes of this nature obviously will have an impact on how people have otherwise ordered their lives but we have to change how we live, how we design our urban space and to move away from so much of it being determined by road vehicles of any type.

“I think it would be a misrepresentation to make it an antagonistic relationship – it’s just that we need to change. We recognize that that can be difficult but there’s no shying away from it.”