Vile Council? West Sussex bike parking clampdown

A SUSSEX bike shop claims the local council is trying to ban bikes from parking outside its shop in Chichester. CMW Motorcycles is located on The Hornet, a small shopping street, with short stay parking available all along the road, limited to 30 minutes during the day for all vehicles. But CMW claims to have seen an email from West Sussex council to another trader on the street, aiming to change the traffic laws solely to prevent bikes parking there.

CMW has suggested that other businesses on the road have complained about its demonstrator bikes parking outside the bike shop and want them moved so they can park their own cars there. That’s despite the demo bikes being taxed, MOTd and fully road legal, and also only parked while waiting for customers, within the half-hour restriction that applies to all vehicles.

Here's a copy of the email which CMW has put on its website:

A post on the shop’s website outlines its concerns. “We see this as a direct attack on our business - a motorcycle shop - where so many of our customers come to visit us on bikes! As one of the oldest family-run businesses in the town, we have been operating in the same spot for over 60 years. Why should motorcyclists not have the same rights as a car driver? And where does the injustice stop? If they ban motorcycles from The Hornet, right outside a motorcycle traders, will they soon ban motorcycles from the entire town?”

CMW is asking for support from bikers to object to the planned traffic rule changes. More info on the shop’s website here and on CMW’s Facebook page here.