Bogus Signs Advising of Motorcycle Charging Increase

A number of fake signs have been posted at motorcycle bays around Westminster incorrectly advising that motorcycle charging is due to increase on 24 October 2011.

The information contained on these signs is incorrect - there are no plans to increase motorcycle charges in Westminster.

Introduction of 'Virtual' Residents' Permits for Motorcycles

On Monday 19 April 2010, we began issuing 'virtual', electronic residents' permits for motorcycles, to replace the traditional, physical paper permits. The electronic permits are adminstered through the City Council's Pay by Phone scheme.

Residents who held a residents' permit for their motorcycle were automatically added to the system for 19 April, enabling use of the electronic permit from this date. If you are an existing permit holder and you wish to confirm the creation of an electronic residents' permit for your motorcycle, please call 020 7823 4567 with your vehicle registration number to hand.

Civil Enforcement Officers are aware which motorcycles have electronic residents' permits via their handheld devices. This information also indicates the permit's zone and expiry details. Permit holders may continue to display their physical, paper permit on their motorcycle should they wish but this is not necessary.

The concessions the residents' permit affords remain unchanged. To confirm, a residents' permit for a motorcycle continues to allow the bike to be parked in any residents' or shared-use bay in the permit holder's zone of residence or in any dedicated motorcycle bay borough-wide.  

Where a motorcycle is on the same permit as a car, the motorcycle is still issued with an electronic permit but the paper permit still needs to be displayed in the car.

All other aspects of a residents' permit for a motorcycle (price, terms and conditions, application criteria etc) remain the same. Unfortunately the electronic permit online cannot be renewed online.

Permanent Scheme

On 6 January 2010, the Cabinet Member for City Management approved the making of permanent traffic orders for the motorcycle charging scheme as proposed.

The permanent traffic orders came into force on Monday 25 January 2010.

The implementation of the permanent traffic orders makes little practical difference to how the motorcycle charging scheme operates. However, under the permanent traffic orders the price of a residents’ permit for a motorcycle reduces to £50 per annum regardless of engine size. From 25 January 2010 residents who currently hold a residents’ permit for a motorcycle will be able to apply for a refund of the price differential for full, unused months remaining on their current permit.

We have sent a letter to all residents identified as holding a residents' permit for a motorcycle. The letter (a copy of which is available to view below) explains the change and advises that a refund may be due. The letter contains a form for the resident to complete and return to obtain the refund. If you are a holder of a residents' permit for a motorcycle and you do not receive a letter but believe that a refund may be due to you please either download, complete and return the form below, call 020 7823 4567 for a form to be sent to you or enquire at your nearest One Stop Shop.  FAQs regarding the refunds are available below and will also be added to the FAQ page.   

• Residents letter (PDF)
• Refund form (PDF)
• FAQs (PDF)