Hey Guys, Just read this on SMC facebook page thought you might like your say...   Businesses in Matlock Bath have said they are unhappy about plans to charge bikers to park on the street. Traders claim it will stop people from visiting.Derbyshire County Council said it plans to introduce the on-street parking charges on the North and South Parades after consultation.What are your thoughts?                                                                                                                                                                             

How they gonna enfoce It?? Put a ticket on a bike and somebody will help themselves!!   Wonder if this is a "suggestion" by plod to County Council,who fund them, as a way of keeping "costs" down?                                                                                                                                                                             

 its pure rubbish bikers have been going to matlock bath for ever and we spend a fortune evry year its just beaurocratic rubbish we should protest if they do its unfair                                                                                                                                                                              

I can just imagine that protest now! How would they ticket thousands of bikes?! lol might be fun though
                                                                                                                                                                             

2 yrs ago they were trying to get bikes out of Matlock, completely !! , simply because it was free parking, local residents were complaining like mad at that time, but petitions were signed which stopped it....a lot was done behind closed doors too as it would have had an adverse effect on shops and cafes..thankfully that was sorted and now this ...                                                                                                                                                                             

 yeah i remember that.i dont see what the problem is we go,meet up,chat and spend money its not like we go roasting babies or running old biddies over (leave that for the rallies lol only joking )
its just pants and i think they are idiots
                                                                                                                                                                             

Soon as i get to know when the meeting is im off to it ...                                                                                                                                                                             

Another short-sighted kneed jerk by a council trying to muster up some cash -

Take your mind back ten-fifteen years, councils introduced parking charges for town centres, p***ing off consumers,

The same Councils then allow massive out of town development, with free parking so they can rake in business rates...

Despite constantly telling pollsters they prefer town centre shopping, Everyone objects to paying for parking so goes to the out of town stores..

Because no-one goes to the town centre anymore for shopping, decade old established business go bust and are replaced by charity shops and discount stores selling junk,

Fast forward to today and Now nobody WANTS to go to the town centre because you have to pay to park somewhere thats run down, is full of tat and you'd probably end up gettin mugged by some cheap cider swilling chav thug!

Now those same councils that introduced paid parking have lost the parking revenue and the business rates as half the shops are boarded up, and the silly beurocratic fools don't understand why!

*rant over* -------

Of course, Matlock is different, in that it's a tourist attraction and not a shopping venue, but I'll guarentee that business will suffer there if charges are introduced,

People will still visit but it will be less often, they'll goto another bike haunt such as Squires or Rivvy barn where you can soak up the same atmosphere, ride equally good roads , and park for free!

*rant truly over*

  How do they police it? Easy, you key in your registration number and pay by card, possibly cash if the machine accepts it. No ticket required.   I wonder if the traders at Matlock Bath will reduce their prices when we have to pay parking fees? Visitors have to have some incentive.   Thanks OMNF for letting us know                                                                                                                                                                                 

No worries, let me know when the ride of protest is i'm in!!                                                                                                                                                                              

There will always be the parking fee issue as soon as some accountant see there is money to be made for local government but to be honest it will be just 1 more reason not to go to matlock your moaning about the price of a parking ticket when your being ripped off at the cafe?
                                                                                                                                                                             

Years ago a mate and me got parking tickets in Bourton on the Water (cotswolds), we were parked near a posh restaurant on a grass verge, we spotted the owner go over to a traffic warden as we were sat outside a nearby pub. Anyhow we got back and there was the tickets stuck on the tanks!   My mate peeled it off and stuck it on his tyre, he then pulled up near the restaurant door and did a burn-out filling the place with burnt rubber and shredded parking ticket!    We still ended up paying the fines, and his stupidity didn't help matters (we were young then).   Anyhow I've gone off track now, but what I was trying to say was F*ck 'em, money grabbing barstewards.                                                                                                                                                                             

  Here's a link to the forum thread Paul started, to sign a petition   http://www.bikermatch.co.uk/sites/bm/forum/posts.asp?to...c_id=10607                                                                                                                                                                             

Signed up a few days ago on MCN. word is getting around on BM also which is good stuff. Fact is, that Matlock Bath is centrally located to major UK cities with a large biker biker population.It is a perfect place for rest and meet up. The revenue potential is obviously enormous and the council will want to enjoy some of that. Sadly, ticketless technology is more than likely - so I think we have to accept that, and find a new place to meet which is free. A protest ride was mentoned  - when and where? the MCN reclaim Wales day was great fun. Count me in please                                                                                                                                                                             

There all at it ,if  theres mony to be made  they,ll make it we live in a money mad society, seems everywhere you go and everything you do MONEY is at the heart of it... we have to accept it ... its the times we,re livin in   Ride On....                                                                                                                                                                             

can i just ask a question without getting shot down in flames.   As a car driver as well as a bike rider whats the difference when it comes to parking charges, why should i get charged in my car and not on my bike.   don't get me wrong i get just as pi$$ed off about it as the next person, but whats the difference                                                                                                                                                                              

Well, for a start Roughie, a car takes up the parking space of 4 bikes   That's revenue potential for traders, of up to 8 people   Whereas a car would be a "maximum" of 5   So on pure visitor numbers the local traders would lose out   Which is what most of them base their "sales forecasts" on   Another "consideration" which has already been mentioned is the "attraction" of the bikes which provides a spectacle for visitors   I don't think a town full of "cars" would have the same effect somehow   There is also the "congestion" aspect to consider   Bikes don't create any, even in their thousands   But a thousand or more cars converging on MB would create an enormous "traffic jam"                                                                                                                                                                             

Here here emzed bikes more envir freindly all round                                                                                                                                                                             

Roughie, where they want to bring in parking fares (the long stretch outside shops) cars don't currently have to pay either. If the money grabbers have their way both cars and bikes will have to pay. The reason they focus mainly on the bikes is cause as emzed said you can fit 4 bikes in the space of one car so the pound signs are flashing in front of their eyes.
Hope this helps in short both will have to pay where as currently neither do

I am not talking just about Matlock its everywhere   I just don't see the difference, there should maybe be a reduced rate for bikes as you say they take less room, but if a car is having to pay for parking so should bikes.   when it comes to bring people into the area for shopping a car can fit upto 7 if its a big jobby, the most a bike can bring is 2   If i had my way nobody should pay to park.... we pay road tax that should entitle us to park !!!!