“Sidewalks are for pedestrians, not for motorcycles,” so say informational signs to encourage motorcyclists to be careful where they park their motorcycles. During the last few weeks the Guardia Urbana of Barcelona has already begun to impose fines on those who do not comply with the rule. Therefore, you must be very attentive about how to park your motorcycle so as not to be fined.
The most important thing is that although you will still be able to park on sidewalks, you will only be able to park on sidewalks that are more than three meters wide and in semi-batteries or at an angle, if they are more than six meters long.
The ultimate goal is to ensure adequate mobility for pedestrians, good access and respect for public spaces.
One of the neighborhoods in Barcelona where you can see most badly parked motorcycles is in the neighborhood of Gràcia. A strong campaign is being carried out there to prevent these two-wheeled vehicles from continuing to cause so many problems to passers-by.
Campaigns that teach you how to park your motorcycle to avoid being fined
To achieve this, you should pay attention to the “City of Pedestrians” initiative taken up by the Barcelona City Council after 3 years of having been started. Since that time, it has been developed in 6 phases, which has resulted in a 44% reduction in the number of motorcycles parked incorrectly.
For 2020, four more phases, each lasting two months, are planned to be brought forward. The first began in February of this year and seeks to recover the sidewalks so that pedestrians can walk. It also hopes to sensitize motorcyclists to park their motorcycles in subway parking lots, on proper roadways and on sidewalks with sufficient width.
The campaign started with an informative phase, then with the warning of the infractions and finally with the sanction of up to 100 euros without deduction of license points. If this happens to you but you make a prompt payment, you can benefit from a 50% discount.
Keep in mind that this value may increase if the tow truck has taken your motorcycle because it was parked incorrectly. If so, you must then pick it up at the municipal impound, pay the cost of towing and the cost of the motorcycle’s stay at the impound.
Keep in mind how to park your motorcycle so as not to get a fine
- Motorcycles should be parked only in spaces designated for this purpose.
- You may park on sidewalks, unless you cannot park on driveways or specific plazas.
- Please note that if the sidewalks are reserved areas for loading and unloading or for parking vehicles for people with disabilities, you will not be able to park there.
- You will also not be able to do so in public transportation stop zones.
According to data from the Statistical Institute of Catalonia for 2018 Barcelona already had 637,531 motorcycles.
