OMO: Parking in metered bays.

Ah the usual do i pay and attempt to display argument

If you manage to find some written legislation or council email stating the rules and wherefores then let me know, would be a good idea to carry it about, I'm getting fed up of not wanting to take the bike townie places because of parking issues.

[Red Herring]

You don't need to display the tax unless you are on a road maintained at public expense. That's a road, not a car park. Some councils however make it a condition of parking in their car parks that vehicles have to display a current tax, and they can ticket you if you don't. Some even retain the right to remove your vehicle if it does not comply with their conditions.

My son was given a ticket by a council ticket tout for allegedly "failing to park in a marked bay" when he parked his moped at the local leisure centre. He had actually parked it next to a pumping house between the car park and the building so he could chain it to the lampost. She also submitted a CLE2/6 (a form used to report untaxed vehicles to the DVLA) because he didn't have a tax disc displayed (like OP under his seat). Not only did I get the ticket overturned by showing the moped wasn't even on their land but I got her disciplined for making a false statement on the CLE2/6 because she had put the name of the adjoining road on it.

My advice is challenge these people all the time, however it does help if you do so from a position of being right.....

Now check this info before you rely on it, I'm not even 50% sure it's correct. However I understood that the ticket isn't issued until it's been stuck on your vehicle, so don't hang around while he writes it, just drive away.

[Biker Biggles]

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Now check this info before you rely on it, I'm not even 50% sure it's correct. However I understood that the ticket isn't issued until it's been stuck on your vehicle, so don't hang around while he writes it, just drive away.

Dont know about that.These days there are plenty of "tickets" issued by surveillance cameras so nothing gets stuck to the vehicle.First you know about it is a letter.

If I have ever had to buy a ticket, I just clamp it in my patrol tank lid, tak a photo making sure the time and date is visible and then another photo from a little further away with the bike and reg in it.

Either that or a piece of hand written paper saying you bought a ticket and have it in your wallet - again with photos, if you get a ticket they just produce the valid ticket, the times will match up.

As for the tax disk, why don't you photocopy your one and put that in your tax disk holder on the bike and at the same time keeping the original in your box?


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[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Now check this info before you rely on it, I'm not even 50% sure it's correct. However I understood that the ticket isn't issued until it's been stuck on your vehicle, so don't hang around while he writes it, just drive away.

That's (almost) correct afaik, you can't (really) be done until they have a photograph of your vehicle parked illegally with the ticket on it. Driven off before as they tried and failed to affix it to the moving car, never heard anything back.

[littleoldman2]

Originally Posted by Red Herring

My advice is challenge these people all the time, however it does help if you do so from a position of being right.....

So true

[timwilky]

My local "city" council do charge full whack for bikes in meter bays. But do provide free parking on the first floor of the town centre multi story which is more convenient, dry, and secure. So I guess that is why I don't see bike anywhere else.

Local town allow free parking alongside the entrance to the town centre pay and display. there is even a rail to which you can chain your bike. But for some reason they do not advertise the fact on the website etc.

Originally Posted by Stuuk1

As for the tax disk, why don't you photocopy your one and put that in your tax disk holder on the bike and at the same time keeping the original in your box?

Thats actually a worse offence than not displaying.

We had a spate of tax disc thefts here a while back, i spoke to a bike cop who i happened to bump into in a car park.
he suggested that a cop wouldn't do you as they would pnc check the bike and if it showed on comp as being taxed then fine. yes the offence is for non display but....
I asked about displaying a photocopy and he said thats a real no no, IF you get caught its a much more serious offence. The bike is then classed as being used in the commission of a crime and can be seized.

Now this is my memory of his interpretation of the law so not guaranteed.

re the op. I went into my council website and...
In designated car parks in town centre only:

unless you or your passenger hold a valid 'Blue Badge', between 08:45 and 17:30 you must purchase and display a parking ticket
you must not exceed the permitted waiting period
motor cycles may be parked free of charge at Comely Place, Garrison Place (West) and Williamson Street, in the areas specifically marked for them

it then goes on to list rules for all other car parks but no further mention is made of m/cs.
However generally we park anywhere that does not block pedestrian access, we've been standing at bikes on numerous occasions in various locations and wardens have come over and chatted about bikes or anything else and never threatened tickets or suggested we shouldn't have been parked there. When asked, they have said bikes dont need tickets!
I even park in multi stories and either ride past end of barrier or guy in booth lifts barrier, i've never paid for parking the bike!