A hollow victory for minority transport report authors
THERE was bewilderment as twist and turns in the States transport debate yesterday saw deputies favour the 'paid parking' minority report only to tear out one of its core proposals.
It has cast serious doubt over whether the document's controversial charges for long-stay parking will stay or even whether the long-awaited strategy will survive.
Its proposer, Deputy Yvonne Burford, pictured, was optimistic when, at the end of the morning session, politicians selected her report over Environment's official document – which did not include paid parking – by 30 votes to 17.
But delight turned to disappointment when, just before finishing for the day, a successful amendment, which won by just one vote, re-shaped it.
Now, instead of having a free bus service, tipped as one of its 'key pillars' and integral to offsetting paid parking, deputies will today vote on the strategy that includes bus fares of 50p – and a further amendment will, as a result of its predecessor's success, be laid today to push this up to £1.
'I'm disappointed with what's happened but it's not a fatal blow to the report,' said Deputy Burford, who was praised throughout the debate for her work in devising a well-balanced and 'integrated strategy'.
