- Pressure from key figures in the motorcycle community is paying off after room for almost 200 bikes has been added to council car parks a year after a damning report.
- Only 4,241 of the UK’s 1,046,437 total parking spaces* in council car parks were dedicated to motorcycles – a paltry 0.41% – in July 2025. But some of the 65 worst authorities have taken action thanks to pressure from bodies like Bikesure, the UK’s largest motorcycle broker, and the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG).
- While Ashfield District Council lead the way having added 15 motorcycle-specific spaces** that have enough room to fit approximately*** 45 bikes, Coventry City Council’s two new parking areas cater for the same volume of machines.
- Rob Balls, Bikesure’s general manager, said “change takes time and this is a step in the right direction” while MAG’s Colin Brown added “it’s good to see individual councils catching up”.
- A total of 62 dedicated spaces have been added across the UK to create earmarked space for roughly 194 motorcycles. A total of 52 of those 65 worst-performing councils still have zero dedicated spaces, bays or areas for motorcycles.
Designated spaces added to accommodate almost 200 motorbikes in council car parks as bikers receive a boost 12 months after grim provision unearthed
Pressure from key figures in the motorcycle community is paying off after room for almost 200 bikes has been added to council car parks a year after a damning report.
Only 4,241 of the UK’s 1,046,437 total parking spaces* in council car parks were dedicated to motorcycles – a paltry 0.41% – in July 2025. But some of the 65 worst authorities have taken action thanks to pressure from bodies like Bikesure, the UK’s largest motorcycle broker, and the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG).
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While Ashfield District Council lead the way having added 15 motorcycle-specific spaces** that have enough room to fit approximately*** 45 bikes, Coventry City Council’s two new parking areas cater for the same volume of machines.
The damning under-representation still looks bad when you consider every 30 in 1,000 cars are granted spaces compared to around seven in 1,000 bikes, but it’s progress – albeit slow – when compared to the original in-depth study from Bikesure which gained widespread media coverage.
Rob Balls, the company’s general manager, said: “We called on local authorities to recognise the scale of the problem and address the imbalance. While the numbers still don’t add up and bikers deserve better, we’ve got to focus on the positives.
“Change takes time and this is a step in the right direction. We hope bikers in some of these areas, or those visiting, feel happier knowing they have extra spaces in council car parks that are dedicated to them.
“As specialists who speak to thousands of riders every week, we regularly hear concerns about parking availability and consistency. We know there needs to be more spaces for cars than bikes but we will keep banging this drum until riders are given the same consideration and consistency as car drivers when it comes to parking.”
A total of 62 dedicated spaces have been added across the UK to create earmarked space for roughly 194 motorcycles. Nottinghamshire saw the biggest growth with 19 additional spaces being added across two of its councils’ car parks. The development has added dedicated space for roughly 58 bikes. London’s already extremely healthy provision has been boosted by 11 spaces for 57 machines in a further boost to bikers in the capital.
A total of 52 of those 65 worst-performing councils still have zero dedicated spaces, bays or areas for motorcycles. Bikesure’s latest round of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests showed almost 50% of those 65 councils had completely free spaces for bikers in their car parks – a stat which highlights why there is often confusion around whether motorcyclists should be paying to park or not.
Parking remains a big topic among the two-wheel community with Bikesure rounding up some of the key news headlines in the past 12 months to keep riders better informed. There has been cause for celebration with bikers in Norwich saving a popular parking site while Save London Motorcycling (SLM) joined forces with motorcyclists to force Hackney Council to back down on charging £50 a day to park in its spaces.
Mr Balls added: “It’s not just about getting more spaces either – we’re talking clearer rules, fairer charges and safer, designated areas because bikers should feel respected and recognised.
“Dedicated motorcycle parking helps make better use of available space, reduces the likelihood of bikes being parked in unsuitable locations and gives riders greater confidence when visiting town centres. All of us in the motorcycle community need to keep coming together to create more positive news in the next 12 months and beyond.”
Data from 362 authorities originally showed that roughly 11,058 of 1.4 million registered bikes across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland could fit in spaces earmarked for them. That meant just 0.76% of the UK’s bikes were able to park in bays that were allocated exclusively to them in authorities’ off-street parking facilities.
The figures do not take into account spaces, bays or areas that allow both bikes and cars to use them.
Colin Brown, director of campaigns and political engagement for MAG, said: “It’s good to see individual councils catching up. Nationally, we’ve been pushing to get motorcycle parking written into policy ahead of cars, not as an afterthought — Oxfordshire’s transport plan now states exactly that. We’ll keep making that case, council by council and policy by policy.”
