VIDEO: Thousands attend Derbyshire biker parking charge protest
Thousands of motorbike enthusiasts brought a Derbyshire town to a standstill when they gathered to protest against proposed parking charges.
Around 4,000 bikers made the trip to Matlock Bath, a popular biking ‘Mecca’, and thousands lined the streets to watch the spectacle in the town.
Derbyshire County Council want to impose a parking charge of 50 pence per hour on bikes as well as limiting the time they can use the spaces to two hours.
Enthusiasts took part in a ride along on the A6 between Ambergate and Matlock Bath amid fears the new parking fees would mean less people coming to the area.
Protestor John Tatton – who has been riding since 1967 – said he comes to Matlock Bath from Nottingham about ten times a year on his 1300cc Honda Fury.
He said: “The shop owners are in uproar about the parking charges – they don’t want it and neither do we.
“None of the charges go back to the area anyway.
“It’s just a way of squeezing more money out of people.”
