While thousands of commuters got stuck in traffic again for hours this morning, as a result of those motorcyclists legally riding their bike as if they were driving cars, we came across an individual that we had never heard of before. His name is Daniel Hamilton, apparently a Tory councillor somewhere in the United Kingdom, who kept sending insulting tweets all morning to alert the London population that the traffic was “completely paralysed around Trafalgar Square because of some tossers blocking the road in protest at Tory stealth taxes”.

The tossers, in this particular instance, were the bikers who were simply exercising their legal right to protest at a policy that they don’t agree with. Those “tossers”, as described by Daniel Hamilton, have been campaigning for almost two years against Westminster City Council to get the bike parking tax scrapped, but the council has so far refused to listen and gone ahead with making their stupid bike parking tax permanent regardless. While the bikers have lodged a legal case with the High Court, accusing Westminster Council to have illegally imposed a revenue raising motorcycle parking tax designed to discourage the London population from using motorbikes and scooters (which cause zero congestion and very little pollution), motorcyclists have also decided to take radical action every Wednesday morning (and sometimes evening) by bringing Central London to a complete standstill during rush hour.

Daniel Hamilton seems to have been one of the many commuters who got caught in traffic this morning. He was so angry that he presumably decided to release his anger by behaving in a complete unprofessional manner, that is by sending insulting messages on twitter to describe a group of citizens who will be voting at the general elections on 6th May 2010. So we now know that, according to a member of the Conservative Party, motorcyclists are “tossers”. We have heard all sorts of names to describe bikers over the past two years, but never this one. Bikers have been treated of “rogues” by Westminster Tory Councillor Danny Chalkley, simply because they didn’t agree with his motorcycle parking tax, and now they are “tossers” according to Daniel Hamilton, another Tory Councillor of some sort, because they have been exercising their legal right to protest.

Anyway, it sounds like Daniel can expect to get stuck in traffic every single week from now on, until his Westminster colleague Danny Chalkley finally decides to scrap the controversial bike parking tax. So instead of insulting the bikers who, like everyone else, will be voting at the forthcoming general and council elections, Daniel Hamilton should perhaps try to understand why they have been blocking Central London every week. In one of his tweets, Daniel advised that he was opposed to stealth taxes on motorcyclists, so if he’s genuine, why not move his arse and talk to Danny Chalkley? Mr Hamilton must understand that it is precisely by insulting the bikers and not listening to them that they will carry on causing massive disruption on the London roads every week, until their voice is finally heard.

Let’s not forget that Westminster Tory Councillor Danny Chalkley has decided to stealth tax motorcyclists to park while he enjoys the benefit of an official parking permit allowing him to park his car all over Westminster free of charge. So it is only fair that bikers oppose having to stand in the pissing rain with their phone and credit card to pay for parking, while the Conservative fat cats in Westminster City Council are all high and dry in their shofer driven cars with their free parking permits and raking in the cash from parking tickets. Perhaps we should also say that the same Danny Chalkley is making Westminster Council lose £430,000 a year worth of taxpayers’ money with his loss making motorcycle charging scheme. This is something you should know, Mr Hamilton, and there’s a lot more you should know about Westminster’s parking affairs!

Rendez-vous next Wednesday to see Central London brought to a complete standstill again! It’s best to avoid driving in Westminster on Wednesdays.

Please join and support the campaign to stop Westminster Council from stealth taxing motorcyclists to park before their scheme spreads all over the UK and the rest of Europe. For further details, visit http://www.notobikeparkingtax.com/

Rejoignez le groupe de manifestants contre le stationnement payant des motocyclistes a Westminster avant que cela ne se propage dans le reste du Royaume-Uni et l’Union Europeenne. Pour plus d’informations, consultez http://www.notobikeparkingtax.com/

If you have a story you would like to see published on UK France bikers.com, please contact us here.

Si vous avez une experience a partager et que vous souhaiteriez voir publiee sur UK France bikers.com, n’hesitez pas a nous contacter en cliquant ici.

While reading the instructions attached to the Councillor application form for a free official parking permit, we noted the following:-

“An official parking permit does not remove the need to purchase a Residents Parking Permit for the Member’s zone of residence (where applicable), which must be displayed when the vehicle is parked near the Member’s home. Members who need to purchase a Residents Parking Permit for their own private use, should therefore continue to display the permit in the normal fashion”.

“The official Parking Permit should be removed from the windscreen when the vehicle is not being used on Official City Council business and kept safe”.

Right, so on what basis have these 18 Conservative Councillors been parking their car outside their official hours, given that they haven’t purchased a Resident Parking Permit, which they are required to display when their vehicle is parked near their home? Could it be that they all are non-Westminster residents, hence don’t need to buy a Westminster Resident Parking Permit? No, they’re all Westminster Residents, as per a separate Freedom of Information (FOI) request (click here to view the details). Could it then be that all 18 of them benefit from off-street parking at home?

We spotted another FOI request asking how many Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) were issued to these 18 Conservative Councillors since 1st January 2009 for failing to show/hold a resident parking permit that entitles them to park their car in the streets of Westminster, outside their official working hours. The answer was NONE, as “none was found to be in contravention”, according to the Council. Since holding a free Official Parking Permit does not remove the right to purchase a Residents Parking Permit for use outside of Council business hours, we can only assume that these 18 (dishonest) Conservative Councillors have been using their Official Parking Permit to park their vehicle, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, since they have not received a single PCN for failing to show a Residents Parking Permit outside their hours of official duty. What Parking Permit have they been displaying outside their official hours to park their vehicle near their home, while going shopping or visiting friends and family, eh? Unless perhaps they all have off-street parking at home, never go shopping, never go out and never visit friends and family?

What has made us be angry and laugh at the same time was the following statement in the Council’s response to the FOI request:-

“Councillors are aware of their responsibility to ensure that permits are only used for official business, and if misused, this affects the integrity of the Council”.

Ohhh touchy, so the integrity of the Council must be very badly damaged indeed. And we wouldn’t be surprised if, within the 18 Conservative Councillors, who can’t be bothered purchasing a Residents Parking Permit and using the crappy Verrus pay by phone system, which keeps breaking down and causes misery to hundreds of motorists and motorcyclists every day, there are the ones who voted in favour of stealth taxing bikers for parking during the 31st March 2009 scrutiny committee meeting.

Oh, but wait a minute. Why would we expect these 18 dishonest Tory Councillors to purchase a Resident Parking Permit, given that the Council has no controls in place to ensure that their Councillors don’t misuse their Official Parking Permit? After all, cheating saves money, doesn’t it, especially when for Councillor Barrow, every penny counts.

We now leave you with a final quote from Westminster Council:-

“Members are fully aware of the rules relating to the use of these [official parking] permits and any misuse is likely to be regarded as a breach of the Members Code of Conduct”.

Who is submitting an FOI request to Westminster Council to find out how many of these 18 Conservative Councillors have been subject to disciplinary action for misuse of their free Official Parking Permit? Will the answer be none again?

Sources (click to view):-

Free Official Parking Permit Application form and guidelines

FOI request 1

FOI request 2

Please join and support the legal fight to get the bike parking tax in Westminster scrapped before it spreads all over the UK and the European Union. The next demonstration is on 31st October 2009, don’t miss it! For further details, visit  http://www.notobikeparkingtax.com/

Soutenez et participez au proces dont le but est de forcer la mairie de Westminster a supprimer la taxe de stationnement des deux-roues avant que le concept ne se propage a travers le Royaume-Uni et l’Union Europeenne. La prochaine manifestation aura lieu le 31 octobre 2009, ne la ratez pas! Pour plus d’informations, consultez http://www.notobikeparkingtax.com/

If you have a story you would like to see published on UKFRANCE.org, please contact us here.

Si vous avez une experience a partager et que vous souhaiteriez voir publiee sur UKFRANCE.org, n’hesitez pas a nous contacter en cliquant ici.