Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Park & Ride - Winchester Tories lose the Plot
Just today we have seen Cabinet papers relating to parking charges in Winchester. The success of the Park & Ride, together with the loss of parking at Sussex Street and last summer’s temporary closure of River Park has resulted in a hole in the City Council’s parking budget. To fill this, the Conservative Cabinet will be looking at proposals which include significant increases in short term parking costs and a massive (£2 to £3) increase in the charge for Park & Ride. Season tickets for the city centre long term car parks will be unaffected.
I feel these are poor proposals, badly thought out. Park & Ride has been a success in removing traffic from the city so the council is considering raising charges that will discourage the use of the facility. Similarly, shoppers and other short term visitors, like most Oliver’s Battery and Badger Farm residents, will be penalised through higher short term charges, leaving people who park all day in the long term car parks unaffected. I await the Cabinet decision with interest.
I feel these are poor proposals, badly thought out. Park & Ride has been a success in removing traffic from the city so the council is considering raising charges that will discourage the use of the facility. Similarly, shoppers and other short term visitors, like most Oliver’s Battery and Badger Farm residents, will be penalised through higher short term charges, leaving people who park all day in the long term car parks unaffected. I await the Cabinet decision with interest.
