Letter: Motorbike parking fee pisses me off

By John Verney

I am pissed off by the decision of the University of Calgary to charge motorbikes a $75 permit to park here [“University to impose motorcycle parking fee,” March 22, 2012].

There are not many bikers at the U of C. The inconvenience we cause is minimal.

We do not take up valuable space. The few thoughtless bikers who do and who cause obstructions should be fined, as are car drivers. All bikers should not be penalized on account of a tiny number of Hell’s Angels.

Because of the inclement weather, most bikers ride to school only during the last few weeks of the winter semester. A few more come on bikes if they are studying during the spring and summer semesters. I myself average about 10 journeys by bike per school year. Some bikers come less frequently.

But unlike car drivers, we cannot pay by the day but have to pay $75 in advance no matter how rarely we park here. I did have to pay to park at the University of Victoria, but on a daily basis.

If the university is so desperate for our money, surely it would be fairer to charge bikers only when they actually come here by bike. We cannot know in advance how often that will be.

Are we now to expect charges to be made for cyclists? I usually come to school by bicycle, but on the odd occasion I use my motorbike. And how long will it be before the charge is increased to $100? And so on.

Yours sincerely,

A very gruntled,

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