30 minute free parking in Haringey

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on February 13, 2013 at 0:54

BBC Wales had an interesting item yesterday (12 February 2013) about the impact of "traffic free" streets in Colwyn Bay on one long-standing greengrocers. And a call for Welsh councils "to look again at pedestrian zones amid concern they are deterring shoppers."

I have to admit that to finding both sides of the thirty-minutes-free-parking argument over simplistic.  In my observation there are many more layers to this onion.

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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on February 13, 2013 at 7:12

I no longer own a car; I have a bicycle and a motorcycle and I use buses frequently. I don't think the authorities do nearly enough to support cycling. Token measures such as painted lines to define cycle 'lanes' aren't good enough. The driving of children to school in giant 4x4s is something to be deprecated.

Although I agree that the speed limit ought to be lowered, unfortunately this letter to the MP contains mainly strident, indirect assertions that advance a general anti-motorist agenda. It's got less to do with parking charges and more to do with the parking of cars.

The suspicion has to be that the motivation for some or most charges on motorists is not any 'green' agenda, but the intention to raise cash. But the dressing for these charges is normally green. Economics suggest that if you keep raising the price of something with a fixed supply, then demand will drop. If the council keeps raising charges on motorists, they may kill the goose that lays the golden egg.

Most people who've had a parking fine on the High Street think carefully next time: once bitten, twice shy. It's easier to use a giant free car park, maybe driving out of town or one like Sainsburys: no worries!

I was interested to learn recently that a neighbour, like me, has for the first time in his adult life, gone car-less. This might be seen as a victory for the CPZ-ification of the street, but it ought to be recognized that for many, it is essential to have a car in order to get to work, because any public transport alternative is not yet good enough.

There a big changes taking place on the High Street, especially the impact of on-line retail. But shopkeepers need time to adjust. 30 minutes of free parking is a simple, practical measure to help them and some shoppers.

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Permalink Reply by John D on February 13, 2013 at 8:04

I'm neither for nor against the 30 mins free parking because it wouldn't affect me. But how would it work ? Squads of parking attendants relentlessly patrolling every five minutes ? Display a clock like the disabled drivers ( some of whom nip back at the end of their allotted time to reset the clock ) ?

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Permalink Reply by John D on February 14, 2013 at 17:45

Therese, I did say " some ". But it happens more often than you might think.

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