Parking consultation for Zone A
If any of you live in a Zone A area and received the Parking Consultation leaflet today, I would welcome your views.During the last consultation back in 1998, I remember feeling that the way the questions were put to us could only result in the council getting the answer it wants rather than really getting our views. This time, there is at least the space to make open comments bit I still feel that the questions are somewhat skewed.The council is proposing to increase the hourly pay and display tariff to £2.40 but if residents purchase a SMART Visitor Permit (similar to an Oyster Card which charges against your credit/debit card), they get a discounted rate of £1.50. The hourly rate is currently £1.60 which my visitor funds, and the control hours are Mon-Sat 8.30-6.30.Under the proposed scheme, the SMART permit rate is only 10p cheaper per hour than the current hourly rate. However the likelihood of me getting this back from my visitors is nil as a) I would be too embarrassed to ask and b) they may not have the right money. As a SMART permit holder, it would be my responsibility to phone to activate the card and then to remember to phone again when my visitor leaves otherwise I could be charged more than necessary. Given this, I would therefore not purchase a SMART card but if the scheme goes ahead (as is likely to given the way the questions were asked), the hourly tariff for visitors will increase by 80p.How do others view this consultation?
Sharon Isaac-Upton ● 6639d5 Comments