Keep car parks free
I AM writing in connection with the proposed new transport strategy. I have obviously not been party to the entire document or its proposals. However, I put these thoughts forward for consideration.
The biggest challenge is the peak traffic caused by the workforce arriving and departing the Town area. This has increased significantly with the increase in 10-hour parking. Whereas before people possibly shared a family drive to drop the kids to school and then went in to Town, now so many more people are having one parent drop the children and the other take the journey straight into Town to 'get' a 10-hour park – two cars now parking in Town therefore, instead of the original one. It has become the norm to pop off shopping or go to the gym on the way home from work, because the car is available. It never used to be. People used to go home and then go off to wherever they wished to go from home. The introduction of additional 10-hour parking in Town is responsible for this change.
How best to deal with this? Certainly not by paid parking and charging firms who have on-site parking. Yes, provide a free and improved bus service around peak times. Yes, make the return of five-hour parking around the outskirts of Town.
Perhaps allow visitors the ability to obtain a 'tourist' permit to enable them to stay in designated spaces for a longer time providing the disc is displayed – thereby enabling them to access longer parking times within Town when all the 10-hour spaces are filled with workforce.
Instead of charging firms for having spaces available for staff use, why not simply make this a benefit in kind? Make the firms look at how those parking spaces would be best utilised, instead of allocating them on a hierarchal basis. It may be that someone who can utilise the free bus service would choose that over having to pay additional tax on the benefit of having a designated space, thereby freeing the space up for someone who simply cannot manage without?
Fact – the majority of workforce work a full day.
Fact – many of the workforce work part-time and have responsibility for dropping off and collecting children at similar times.
Provide better facilities for these people and leave our car parks free of paid parking. Stop penalising the average Guernsey person.
These suggestions are just ideas – not a solution, but from what I have heard on the radio so far about the proposals, they simply want to find a 'quick fix.'
pixie@cwgsy.net
Name and address withheld.
