Scooter parking in London

A scooter parks exactly where a motorcycle parks. If you ride a 125, a moped or a delivery scooter, every solo motorcycle bay in London is open to you on the same terms as a litre bike, and at the same price.

"Solo" does not mean small

The word on the sign is the one that confuses people. A bay marked SOLO M/C ONLY means solo motorcycles, which is any two wheeler without a sidecar. It is not a size class and it is not about engine capacity. A 50cc moped and a 1200cc tourer have exactly the same right to that bay. We explain the signage in full on what motorcycle bay signs mean and what SOLO M/C ONLY means.

What it costs

The same as any motorcycle, because councils charge by bay and not by engine. There is no cheaper scooter rate. A few boroughs do charge less for a fully electric bike, which is worth knowing if you ride an electric delivery scooter: Camden charges 66p a day for fully electric against £1.30 for petrol, and Islington issues a separate electric motorcycle permit, although only 7 of them were in issue across the whole borough in September 2026.

If you ride for a living

Delivery riding is where the rules bite hardest, because the job involves stopping constantly in places that were never designed for it. Three things worth knowing:

• Loading rules do not cover you. Waiting on double yellows with the engine running between jobs is not loading, and it is the single most common way delivery riders pick up tickets.
• Daily charges are per day, not per stop. In a borough like Westminster, where £1 covers every motorcycle bay for the day, one payment covers you across the borough. That changes the economics of a shift considerably if you are paying per session elsewhere.
• Theft risk is higher for scooters. Delivery scooters are stolen more often than larger bikes. Use a bay with an anchor where you can, and SoloBay flags which bays and car parks have them.

Congestion Charge and ULEZ

Scooters are exempt from the Congestion Charge, the same as every other motorcycle. ULEZ is different: it does apply to motorcycles, and a bike has to meet Euro 3 to avoid the daily charge. Most scooters sold since 2007 do. Neither has anything to do with parking, which you still pay for separately.

Find a bay for your scooter

More: motorcycle parking in London, what each borough charges, is it free?, what SOLO M/C ONLY means.

Prices from council sources where we hold them, checked October 2026. Read the sign at the bay.