Furious motorcyclists slam $1 per hour Wellington City Council parking proposal

Wellington City Council is proposing a $1 per hour parking fee in central-city motorcycle bays between 8am and 8pm. Photo / WCC

• Wellington City Council’s proposal to charge $1 per hour for motorcycle parking has sparked backlash.
• The council says the fee will create a more consistent approach to parking charges for motorcycles and other motor vehicles.
• But some motorcyclists argue the fee is counterproductive and will kill the city.

Motorcyclists have accused the Wellington City Council of “killing the already dead city” after a proposal to charge them $1 per hour for parking.

One resident, who commutes from Wainuiomata to Wellington City on his motorbike, said introducing the fee was short-sighted and counterproductive.

He said it would not encourage turnover and greater availability of parks because many motorcyclists needed to park for a full day while at work.

“From what I have seen firsthand this council is slowly killing Wellington, rates are out of control, many parts are under construction with multiple projects on the go at the same time, road closures and traffic disruptions across the city.”

Last year Wellington City Council decided to charge motorcyclists for parking and has now consulted on how much the fee should be. Parking is currently free.

The proposed fee is $1 per hour in central-city motorcycle bays between 8am and 8pm. This is a reduction from a previous proposal to charge $2.50 per hour.

“The introduction of an hourly fee will create a more consistent approach to parking charges for motorcycles and other motor vehicles,” a council press release from November said.

The council said the fee would encourage greater turnover and availability of parks and raise revenue for the city’s infrastructure and services.

There were 1645 submissions on the proposal. The submissions from residents who want to address councillors in person have been published in a Regulatory Processes Committee agenda.

Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean said a breakdown of how many submissions were for and against the proposal was unavailable.

One person argued the council had already “extracted” enough money from the city.

“It adds to the burden everybody is experiencing financially and mentally.”

Another resident said the proposal was ridiculous.

“How about we start charging bicycles road-user charges instead. I pay over $500 for my motorcycle registration. You guys are killing the already dead city.”

Many were concerned the charge would discourage people from using motorbikes and mopeds which they felt were part of the solution to reducing congestion and emissions.

Some argued the charge would be especially unfair to students or those on low incomes who relied on motorbikes and scooters as an affordable way to get around.

Others said they were inclined to support the proposal with changes like the daily fee being capped at $5.

“Any more than that and I would simply not come into town anymore,” one resident said.

Another motorcyclist also said the maximum they were prepared to pay was $5 a day given how much space their bike occupied compared to a car.

“$5 a day seems fair to me. $8 a day is starting to not make sense and if anything, it would encourage me [to] seek to work from home more. When I’m in the city, I buy lunch out most days, contributing to the local economy.”

Someone else suggested that if they had to pay to park, the council should invest in anchor points for bikes to help prevent thefts.

“We aren’t asking for sheltered, free, lifts, over-designed, lockable bike sheds like the cyclists have got ... but I digress.”

Wellington City Council’s Regulatory Processes Committee will hear oral submissions on the issue this Wednesday.

Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.