Back in June 2011 we reported that that BMW Club Ulster Section (through Campbell Owens the son of one the club’s esteemed club members, Bill Owens), had managed to get some very interesting information on the legalities of parking your motorcycle in our capital city Belfast.
He got this from the Department for Regional Development (DRD) Roads Service, without incurring the wrath of a traffic warden or pedestrians.
However Jackie Hill from “N.I. Bikers & Trikers Riding For Charity” contacted the DRD’s Road Service, Parking Enforcement Unit regarding parking for trikes and recieved a response, which we picked up from their Facebook page. Jackie gave us an, “Absolutely, go for it” when we asked to put the info up.
It is good information and good advice with a Trike being defined as a motorcycle for off street parking.
Excellent stuff and while the advice may seem to be somewhat complicated it is workable and remember to add a pen to your motorcycle gear!
On-Street Parking
There are currently 3 towns in Northern Ireland where on-street charging applies, namely Belfast, Newry and Lisburn – known as Control Parking Zones (CPZs) – where all permitted vehicles (including trikes) are expected to pay and display (p & d) the same tariff.
But recognising that p & d tickets attached to motorcycles (or similar) in an outdoor environment may get blown away or stolen, the advice from motorcycling websites such as Motorcycle Parking.com – www.motorcycleparking.com & Best-Motorcycle-Information.com – www.best-motorcycle-information.com is that where you are forced to use a p & d bay, riders are advised to write ‘Motorcycle’ (or Trike in your case) and their registration number (number plate) on their ticket to avoid it being stolen.
Such sites also suggest that riders invest in a weatherproof holder (similar to a tax disc holder) in which to place a valid p & d ticket to be clearly visible for Traffic Attendants on patrol.
It is also generally recommend that you record the unique reference number from the p & d ticket should you need to refer to it as proof of purchase if you are issued with a Penalty Charge Notice for failing to display a valid p & d ticket and you wish to challenge on the grounds that you purchased a p & d ticket.
Last year a mobile phone based ticketless / cashless payment system was introduced in the Belfast CPZ as an alternative to paying by cash and displaying a ticket from an on-street p & d machine.
This is where drivers/riders may register with a service provider and pay for a parking event by credit/debit card. Contact details are displayed on each p & d machine.
This system will soon be introduced in Lisburn and Newry CPZs; as well as in off-street p & d car parks.
Off-Street
Under current legislation for off-street parking, a motorcycle is defined as “a mechanically propelled vehicle not being an invalid carriage or motor car having fewer than 4 wheels”.
Your trike may therefore also be defined a motorcycle in which case the following applies:
Motorcycles can avail of free parking in pay and display car parks providing they park wholly within a parking bay or in a space designated for motorcycles.
At automated barrier controlled car parks it may not be possible for motorcycles to access the facility as the equipment is not calibrated to recognise the low weight of a motorcycle – however it may work for a heavier trike.
At manned kiosk controlled car parks, payment may be required depending on the tariff applicable for that particular car park.
Tariff details are displayed in each car park. Also details of which tariffs apply in each car park can be found by accessing the Parking and Parking Enforcement section of the nidirect portal.
Select “Search by town for off-street car park locations and tariff details”
From the drop down box you can choose any town which is of interest to you.
This will display all the charge car parks in that town and by clicking on the tariff category, details of the tariff will be displayed.
The motorcycle tariff (if applicable) is displayed upon scrolling down to the bottom of the page.
Links
N.I. Bikers & Trikers Riding For Charity – on Facebook – Click Here
NI Direct – List of car parks can be obtained from the roadsni.gov.uk site use the car park search by town – Click Here
NI Direct – Parking and Parking Enforcement – Click Here
Information on Motorcycle Parking on Right To Ride – Click Here
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