Three-wheeled scooter escapes penalty notices
 |
| Vikki Haffenden is relieved that her Piaggio scooter will be exempt from penalty notices |
A biker was threatened with a
fine for parking her motorcycle
in a motorcycle bay - because it
has three wheels.
Vikki Haffenden was at work at
the University of Brighton when a
colleague warned her a traffic
warden was writing out a ticket for
the Piaggio MP3 scooter, which was
parked outside.
When Mrs Haffenden challenged
the warden, he called his supervisor,
who said the vehicle was not
eligible to park in a motorcycle bay
because it has three wheels.
When the mother-of-three called
Brighton and Hove City Council on
Monday, she was told it was an
"anomaly" in recent legislation.
Mrs Haffenden said she was
concerned she would have to buy a
permit to park outside her house in
Stanford Road, Brighton, and would
have to take up a car parking space
at the university.
She was puzzled with the ruling
as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing
Agency (DVLA) had classified the
vehicle as a motorcycle on its
licence.
She previously owned a conventional
two-wheel scooter but
decided to try a more stable model
after skidding on a manhole cover
in West Street.
After contacting the council
again yesterday, she was told they
had decided the vehicle is indeed
technically a motorcycle and can be
parked in motorbike bays.
A spokesman for the council said:
"We did not issue Mrs Haffenden
with a penalty charge notice and
have rung her to say she will be
allowed to use the motorcycle bays.
"We have also instructed our
parking attendants to this effect.
"We generally define motorcycles
as two-wheeled machines. But we
recognise that her particular make
and model is an exception that
should be accommodated."
Mrs Haffenden said: "This is a
relief to me and will be to other owners
who may have already received
tickets.
"I will wait and see if this
decision trickles down to the
wardens in time to prevent another
confrontation.
"It seemed to me that the council
was enacting something before
looking into what this actually
meant on the street, its impact on
inhabitants of the city and on the
morale of local people."
Piaggio began selling its three-wheeled
scooter in 2006.
The advantage of two front
wheels is greater stability and
traction when the road is wet or
uneven.
It is ridden the same way as a
two-wheel bike, but can be brought
to a stop and parked like a car, without
the need for a stand.
12:13pm Friday 18th April 2008
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CommentPosted by: Sevvy, Brighton on 12:34pm Fri 18 Apr 08
This must be the biggest non story of the week. Is it a light news day?
The journalist who wrote this should get a special award for writing hundreds of words about nothing.
No parking ticket was issued - so nothing happened. It's a non story!
This must be the biggest non story of the week. Is it a light news day?
The journalist who wrote this should get a special award for writing hundreds of words about nothing.
No parking ticket was issued - so nothing happened. It's a non story!
Posted by: confused on 12:43pm Fri 18 Apr 08
What about quad bikes?
4 wheels, yet called a bike, so how do they classify them?
What about quad bikes?
4 wheels, yet called a bike, so how do they classify them?
Posted by: Sidecar rider on 1:10pm Fri 18 Apr 08
What about sidecars? They have 3 wheels so can't go in motorcycle bays but have nowhere secure to display the payment tickets when using car bays. Its impossible to get a helpful answer from councils, or indeed any answer.
What about sidecars? They have 3 wheels so can't go in motorcycle bays but have nowhere secure to display the payment tickets when using car bays. Its impossible to get a helpful answer from councils, or indeed any answer.
Posted by: Grumps, LANCING on 4:13pm Fri 18 Apr 08
Some older readers may remember the Messerschmitt bubble cars. Many of these were classed as motor cycles because the reverse gear had been blanked off and they could be driven with a motor cycle licence
Is the lack of a reverse gear no longer the appropriate definition?
Some older readers may remember the Messerschmitt bubble cars. Many of these were classed as motor cycles because the reverse gear had been blanked off and they could be driven with a motor cycle licence
Is the lack of a reverse gear no longer the appropriate definition?
Posted by: Derek, brighton on 4:36pm Fri 18 Apr 08
Brighton /Hove parking monitors especialy the council environment office do not have any common sense I have a ticket that I will take to the highest court due to the fact it was the wrong way round what the heck are these people on common sense says look at the thing you can tell if it is real or not especialy if you have zero tax paid on your disability tax disc they should target the cars that dangerously park ie double parking etc .but sadly they only go for easy targets well,Jenny Rowlands "Director of environment" "I"am not an easy target see you in court;British justice will prevail
Brighton /Hove parking monitors especialy the council environment office do not have any common sense I have a ticket that I will take to the highest court due to the fact it was the wrong way round what the heck are these people on common sense says look at the thing you can tell if it is real or not especialy if you have zero tax paid on your disability tax disc they should target the cars that dangerously park ie double parking etc .but sadly they only go for easy targets well,Jenny Rowlands "Director of environment" "I"am not an easy target see you in court;British justice will prevail
Posted by: Gino, Portslade on 4:46pm Fri 18 Apr 08
As I understand it, a 3 wheeled vehicle is classed as a motor-tricycle. It does come under the motorcycle licence - I taught myself to drive in a Reliant on a bike licence, but it still has to be treated as a car with regard to parking etc, otherwise we'd have a situation where throngs of marauding Reliant drivers would be parking all over the motorcycle bays...
As I understand it, a 3 wheeled vehicle is classed as a motor-tricycle. It does come under the motorcycle licence - I taught myself to drive in a Reliant on a bike licence, but it still has to be treated as a car with regard to parking etc, otherwise we'd have a situation where throngs of marauding Reliant drivers would be parking all over the motorcycle bays...
Posted by: the dude, brighton on 5:42pm Mon 21 Apr 08
HA HA HA
I MADE THE PAPER
:)
HA HA HA
I MADE THE PAPER
:)
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