Motorcycle parking ban protest in Melbourne
A six-month trial banning motorcycle parking on footpaths in St Kilda will be the focus of a protest 'park' on Sunday, February 21Melbourne and motorcycle footpath parking have been happy bedfellows — in the most part — for many years, but the City of Port Philip (COPP), which encompasses the bayside suburb of St Kilda, has now brought in a six-month trial banning the practice.
The ban, purportedly acting on a police request, has so incensed Harley-Davidson rider Darren Carson that he has organised a protest in St Kilda on Sunday, February 21, calling on riders to protest against this unfair treatment by the COPP and police — parking in car spots to really hammer home the point.
Darren's fear is that the ban will spread across other jurisdictions of Melbourne.
Under Victorian law, a motorcyclist is allowed to park on the footpath unless there is a sign specifically stating otherwise.
Port Phillip Mayor Bernadene Voss said the trial had been requested by Victoria Police as both organisations “had been receiving complaints about the large number of motorcycles being parked on what is the busiest pedestrian thoroughfare in St Kilda”. IT wasn't made clear how many complaints were received, and over what period. Moreover, the COPP has provided no alternative to the lost parking space for riders who visit or come to work in St Kilda.
The plan is for riders to meet at McDonald's on the Western Ring Road from 9:00-9:30am, and then make their way to St Kilda.
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