Charging for bike parking

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MikeF
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Charging for bike parking

Post by MikeF »

At Tonbridge station it appears there is a charge of £2.50/day for leaving a bike. I'm not aware of charging at any other station. Does it happen elsewhere or is it just South Eastern Rail? Is this now going become more common? It seems to me to be a sort of car parking charge mentality imposed for bikes. There doesn't seem to be any security for this fee.
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/images/SMEHotspotDetails/SME_TON/o3252-0000473.jpg

Tonbridge Station.jpg
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iandriver
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Re: Charging for bike parking

Post by iandriver »

I think it varies depending on the security level of the infrastructure. Some you can rent a sealed box or chain it up to something lesser for free. Most around here, it's free and bike go missing quite a lot. A lot of people don't lock them up so well though. Cambridge has a purpose built bike park at the station for a couple of thousand bikes and doesn't charge.
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gaz
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Re: Charging for bike parking

Post by gaz »

Gravesend station has a purpose built CycleHub offering reserved secure cycle parking for a fee. IIRC £50 annual season ticket, passcard entry, CCTV
(I can't recall the costs of the shorter term options).

It also has a CCTV covered free cycle parking area, first come first served.

Lots of free cycle parking at many South Eastern stations.
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mjr
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Re: Charging for bike parking

Post by mjr »

Some GWR rural stations used to have rentable lockers you could wheel a bike into but they were underused because it was difficult to get a key and it still didn't guarantee you a space. Some sort of pay-as-you-go codepad system would probably have worked better. All stations had free Sheffield (staple) stands too, usually enough for demand.

The opening post picture looks like those infernal Streetpods. I cannot understand how it is possible in this day and age to sell a design of cycle parking unit which NONE of my bikes fit in - the road bike and the hybrid hit their rear derailleurs on the plastic base if parked on one side, or the front of their front mudguard fails to fit the slot if parked on the other; the roadsters front mudguard don't fit and the stand fouls the base on either side and the handlebars obstruct neighbouring spaces; and the folding bike's locking loop is too far from the pod's locking loop for a D lock to reach. The only way I can use them is to park on the end of a line with the front wheel beside the pod, or to hang a folded folding bike from a D lock!

I guess if you've a mudguardless narrow-handlebar road bike with a short cage derailleur then it works fine :roll: Cycle parking for providers who want to discourage cycling? They're only marginally better than wheelbenders.
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gizmo1994
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Re: Charging for bike parking

Post by gizmo1994 »

I'm not sure the picture is showing a £2.50 charge for bike parking at the station. It seems to be an advert for Brompton Bike Hire at £2.50 per day. Maybe a bit out of date as their current pricing is £3.50 per day.
PH
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Re: Charging for bike parking

Post by PH »

gizmo1994 wrote:I'm not sure the picture is showing a £2.50 charge for bike parking at the station. It seems to be an advert for Brompton Bike Hire at £2.50 per day. Maybe a bit out of date as their current pricing is £3.50 per day.

That's what it looks like to me as well, though I'd assumed the OP had first hand knowledge.
rmurphy195
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Re: Charging for bike parking

Post by rmurphy195 »

PH wrote:
gizmo1994 wrote:I'm not sure the picture is showing a £2.50 charge for bike parking at the station. It seems to be an advert for Brompton Bike Hire at £2.50 per day. Maybe a bit out of date as their current pricing is £3.50 per day.

That's what it looks like to me as well, though I'd assumed the OP had first hand knowledge.


+1, looking at the Tonbridge faciities online the station map shows several bike parking facilities.

I'dbe surprised if bike parking was charged. Unless things are different down there from here in Brum, car parking is free to ticket holders at local train stations,I can't see them charging for bike parking in the open/on platforms etc.
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MikeF
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Re: Charging for bike parking

Post by MikeF »

PH wrote:
gizmo1994 wrote:I'm not sure the picture is showing a £2.50 charge for bike parking at the station. It seems to be an advert for Brompton Bike Hire at £2.50 per day. Maybe a bit out of date as their current pricing is £3.50 per day.

That's what it looks like to me as well, though I'd assumed the OP had first hand knowledge.

You could be right. I hadn't thought of that. I haven't been on Tonbridge station platforms for a while and was investigating facilities for bike travel by train. I shall have to investigate further! It seems there are lifts available. I remember lugging my bike up and down the steps, but perhaps I didn't notice a lift suitable for bikes or maybe there wasn't one at that time.
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tykeboy2003
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Re: Charging for bike parking

Post by tykeboy2003 »

MikeF wrote:At Tonbridge station it appears there is a charge of £2.50/day for leaving a bike.


Not exactly promoting cycling is it?

Better to keep it free and increase charges for single occupancy cars.
simonhill
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Re: Charging for bike parking

Post by simonhill »

I've been to plenty of countries where they charge for bike parking. Normally the countries where there are lots of (city/commuter) bikes, eg Japan, Cuba, Vietnam, China, etc. Most are just large covered areas where you can park your bike securely, often manned. Their bikes usually have stands so no 'leaner' facility needed. Different methods used to record it's your bike, sometimes just a chalk mark on the saddle, with matching scrap of paper given to you.

In Osaka Japan there is a bike park near the station which takes up the ground floor of a multi storey car park. There are barriers on entry and exit and you load your bike onto a bike holder that folds in and lifts up to give multi level storage. Parking your bike illegally outside eg against railings, etc gets it clamped.
Cyril Haearn
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Re: Charging for bike parking

Post by Cyril Haearn »

mjr wrote:Some GWR rural stations used to have rentable lockers you could wheel a bike into but they were underused because it was difficult to get a key and it still didn't guarantee you a space. Some sort of pay-as-you-go codepad system would probably have worked better. All stations had free Sheffield (staple) stands too, usually enough for demand.

The opening post picture looks like those infernal Streetpods. I cannot understand how it is possible in this day and age to sell a design of cycle parking unit which NONE of my bikes fit in - the road bike and the hybrid hit their rear derailleurs on the plastic base if parked on one side, or the front of their front mudguard fails to fit the slot if parked on the other; the roadsters front mudguard don't fit and the stand fouls the base on either side and the handlebars obstruct neighbouring spaces; and the folding bike's locking loop is too far from the pod's locking loop for a D lock to reach. The only way I can use them is to park on the end of a line with the front wheel beside the pod, or to hang a folded folding bike from a D lock!

I guess if you've a mudguardless narrow-handlebar road bike with a short cage derailleur then it works fine :roll: Cycle parking for providers who want to discourage cycling? They're only marginally better than wheelbenders.

Are your bikes getting bigger, like cars are getting wider? Maybe the TOCs want people to take their bikes by train, more profitable than providing parking, €€€?!
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mjr
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Re: Charging for bike parking

Post by mjr »

Cyril Haearn wrote:Are your bikes getting bigger, like cars are getting wider? Maybe the TOCs want people to take their bikes by train, more profitable than providing parking, €€€?!

My bikes aren't getting wider. I think bikes in general are, with hybrids with 60-75cm bars replacing a lot of town bikes with 45-55cm bars... but that's not the main problem with the pods: they've just got bits sticking out where they're not needed and locking loops too high to secure wheels.

I wish train companies did encourage bikes!
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