Borough-by-borough breakdown for motorcycle and moped riders
Last updated: June 2026 | Data from council FOI responses and OpenStreetMap
What's in this guide
How motorcycle parking works in London Boroughs with free parking Boroughs that charge Full borough breakdown How to find bays Avoiding parking tickets Found a missing bay?London has over 2,500 designated motorcycle parking bays spread across 33 boroughs. Most are marked with white lines on the pavement and a sign saying "Solo Motorcycles" or "Powered Two Wheelers." Some are painted bays on the road itself.
Each borough sets its own rules. The good news is that almost every borough in London lets motorcycles park for free in designated bays, at any time, with no time limit. You just ride up, park, and walk away.
The notable exceptions are Westminster (£1/day), Camden (£1.30/day), Islington (£1/day), Hackney (£1.20-£2.60/day), and Lewisham (permit-based, emissions-linked). More on those below.
Motorcycle bays are for powered two-wheelers only. That means motorcycles, mopeds, and scooters. Trikes and quads aren't allowed in solo motorcycle bays in most boroughs and can get a penalty charge notice (PCN) if they park there.
The vast majority of London boroughs don't charge motorcycles to park in designated bays. Here are the ones we've confirmed through council data and FOI responses:
Tower Hamlets has over 80 motorcycle bays, all free with no time limit. The one exception is Brick Lane, where bays operate 11am to 11pm only. We got this data directly from the council through a Freedom of Information request.
Lambeth has over 260 motorcycle bays across 21 zones, covering Brixton, Clapham, Kennington, Waterloo, and surrounding areas. All are free for solo motorcycles (including mopeds) and all operate at any time. The council doesn't track capacity per bay, which is unusual, but the bays are there.
RBKC has over 320 motorcycle bays, all free. The borough's open data portal has been offline since a cyber attack in November 2025, but the bays on the ground haven't changed. They're all free, all hours.
Southwark, Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth, and the outer boroughs all offer free motorcycle parking in designated bays. If you see a bay marked "Solo Motorcycles" outside the five paid boroughs, it's almost certainly free.
Westminster is the only inner London borough with a blanket charge for motorcycle parking. Here's how it works:
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Daily rate | £1/day |
| Payment apps | RingGo, PayByPhone, JustPark |
| Location code | 6789 (same for all solo motorcycle bays) |
| Zones A, B, C, D | Pay 24/7 |
| Zones E, F, G | Pay 7am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday |
| Electric motorcycles | Free |
| Annual permit | £100 (works across all zones) |
| Weekly permit | £3.50 |
| Monthly permit | £13.50 |
Motorcycles can also park in standard car parking bays in Westminster, but you'll pay the full car rate (£3.50 to £7.50/hour depending on the zone). The solo motorcycle bays at £1/day are almost always the better deal.
Westminster also has free motorcycle parking in Q-Park car parks with dedicated motorcycle bays, excluding the Soho location.
Camden introduced motorcycle parking charges in February 2026. With over 530 bays, it's the best-covered borough in London, but no longer free.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Daily rate (non-electric) | £1.30/day |
| Daily rate (electric) | 66p/day |
| Payment app | RingGo |
| Charging hours | Monday to Saturday |
| Resident permit | £146/year |
| Future rate | Rising to £2.60/day from autumn 2026 |
Islington charges £1/day via RingGo. Electric motorcycles park for free.
Hackney charges £1.20 to £2.60 per day depending on location, paid via RingGo. Electric motorcycles park for free. A resident permit is available at £38 per year. Charges apply in shared-use solo motorcycle bays only.
Lewisham requires a permit to park in motorcycle bays, with charges based on vehicle emissions. Electric motorcycles park for free. Lewisham has charged for motorcycle parking since May 2022, with rates increased in April 2026.
This table covers every inner London borough plus the most popular outer boroughs for motorcycle commuters. Data comes from council open data portals, FOI responses, and OpenStreetMap.
| Borough | Fee | Bays on OSM | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster | £1/day | 627+ | RingGo code 6789. Zones A-D pay 24/7. |
| Camden | £1.30/day | 531+ | Charges introduced Feb 2026. RingGo. 66p/day electric. |
| Kensington and Chelsea | Free | 322+ | Data portal offline (cyber attack). Bays unchanged. |
| Lambeth | Free | 262+ | 315 bays across 21 zones. All at any time. |
| Islington | £1/day | 180+ | RingGo. Free for electric motorcycles. |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | Free | 178+ | Free in designated bays. |
| Brent | Free | 99+ | Good coverage in Wembley area. |
| Wandsworth | Free | 85+ | Free in designated bays. |
| Tower Hamlets | Free | 84+ | Brick Lane bays: 11am-11pm only. |
| City of London | Free | 83+ | Square Mile. Free motorcycle bays. |
| Southwark | Free | 45+ | FOI response pending. |
| Hackney | £1.20-£2.60/day | 20+ | RingGo. Free for electric. Resident permit £38/year. |
| Lewisham | Permit-based | 10+ | Emissions-based charges. Free for electric. Since May 2022. |
Bay counts change as volunteers and ParkMoto add more bays to OpenStreetMap. The numbers above are from our last coverage scan. Check ParkMoto for the latest live data.
You've got a few options.
ParkMoto is the quickest way. Open parkmoto.london on your phone, search for where you're going, and you'll see every motorcycle bay in the area. Green dots are free, yellow dots are paid. Tap a bay to get walking or riding directions via Google Maps or Waze.
Council websites sometimes list motorcycle bay locations, but the information is scattered and often buried in PDF documents. Westminster's motorcycle parking page is one of the better ones. Most other boroughs don't have a dedicated page for motorcycle parking.
On the ground is the old-fashioned way. Look for white-painted bays with motorcycle signage. They're usually on quieter side streets rather than main roads. If you spot one that isn't on ParkMoto, you can add it to OpenStreetMap using the "Add to OSM" button in the app.
Most motorcycle PCNs come from a few common mistakes. Here's how to avoid them.
Always check the sign. ParkMoto shows you whether a bay is free or paid, but signage on the ground is what legally counts. If the sign says something different from what the app shows, trust the sign. Report the discrepancy to us and we'll update the data.
Don't park on the pavement. In most London boroughs, parking on the pavement is an offence. Even if you see other motorcycles on the pavement, that doesn't make it legal. Use a designated bay. That's what ParkMoto is for.
Pay in Westminster, Camden, Islington, Hackney, and Lewisham. It's only £1 to £2.60/day (or a permit in Lewisham). The PCN is £65 (or £130 if you miss the early payment window). The maths isn't complicated.
Check for time restrictions. Some bays have hours of operation. Outside those hours the bay might revert to general parking or loading. Tower Hamlets Brick Lane bays, for example, are motorcycle-only from 11am to 11pm. Outside that window, different rules apply.
Don't park in car bays unless you're paying the car rate. A solo motorcycle bay permit won't cover you in a standard parking bay. In Westminster, car bay rates are £3.50 to £7.50 per hour. Not worth it when there's a £1/day motorcycle bay nearby.
ParkMoto's data comes from OpenStreetMap, which is built by volunteers. If you find a motorcycle bay that doesn't show up on the map, you can add it yourself.
Open ParkMoto, tap the "+" button in the top right, and choose "Add to OSM directly." The app opens the OpenStreetMap editor at your GPS location. Add a point, tag it as motorcycle parking, and save. Your bay will appear on ParkMoto within 30 minutes.
You don't need to be a mapping expert. If you can drop a pin on a map, you can contribute. Every bay you add helps the next rider who parks there.