Boris Johnson has criticised plans to introduce evening and weekend parking charges in Westminster.
The council plans to abolish free parking on single yellow lines and parking bays from 9 January 2012 between 6.30pm and midnight Monday to Saturday and 1pm to 6pm on Sundays. The new charges will be up to £4.80 per hour. The mayor has called the charges a 'threat to the west end's night-time economy'. With books to promote and a mayoral election to win, the blond one is keen to demonstrate his support of the local economy and opposing an unpopular parking policy could be a vote-winner.
The council is facing a judicial review over the proposed charges while thesps join the clergy and local businesses in signing a petition.
Westminster council, not known for their altruism when it comes to parking in the borough, recently made the news when one of its own CCTV vans was spotted illegally parked. A 'pay a parking ticket' option is also listed as one of the most popular tasks on the council's website.
