SoloBay
Is motorcycle parking free in London?
Sometimes. It depends on the borough, and the honest summary is that free motorcycle parking in central London is disappearing. There is no London wide rule, which is exactly why this is such a common question.
The short answer
Across the whole UK we hold 10,684 parking places that are recorded as free, made up of 1,111 on street bays and 9,573 car parks. But that is a national figure, and central London is the part of the country where it is least likely to apply to you. In inner London, assume you pay unless the sign tells you otherwise.
Boroughs that charge
| Borough | What it charges |
|---|---|
| Westminster | £1 a day, covering every motorcycle bay in the borough |
| Camden | £1.30 a day, or 66p for a fully electric bike |
| Islington | All 199 solo motorcycle bays are chargeable |
| Hackney | Charges through RingGo, frozen but never withdrawn |
Two of those we know from the councils themselves. Islington and Hackney both answered Freedom of Information requests from SoloBay in September 2026, which is where the figures on those pages come from.
Why "it used to be free" is not a defence
Camden's bays were free until 10 February 2026. Hackney's charges were widely believed to have been withdrawn in March 2026, and the council told us plainly that they were not: they were frozen at the levels previously introduced, and the charges remained. Riders who learned a borough years ago and have not rechecked are the ones getting tickets.
What is still free
Plenty, once you leave the centre. Outer London boroughs, and most of the rest of the UK, still have free motorcycle bays, and many car parks take bikes at no charge. You can see what we hold as free, borough by borough, but read it as a starting point and the sign as the authority.
Do motorcycles pay the Congestion Charge?
No. Motorcycles, mopeds and scooters are exempt from the Congestion Charge across London. That exemption is about driving into the zone, not about parking once you are there, and the two get confused constantly. A free ride in does not mean a free place to leave the bike.
Check before you ride, not after
Open the free web appMore: motorcycle parking in London, what each borough charges, is it free?, what SOLO M/C ONLY means.
Figures from our own dataset, checked October 2026, plus Freedom of Information responses from Hackney and Islington. Prices change and signs are what count legally.