Park-and-ride focus

Thought needs to be given to all residents with vehicles living in disc parking areas with a view to making available long-term parking. Not an arrangement that requires the vehicle to be moved every day. Vehicle owners who reside in these zones and work within walking distance of their homes cause unnecessary traffic movement within these areas.

Additional car parks within the St Peter Port Town area would only add to the traffic congestion.

Guernsey residents will, in my opinion, wish to have their own transport because a comprehensive bus service will never be available here for the following reasons:

1. Roads very narrow, unable to cater for large vehicles meeting head on.

2. Amount of traffic on the roads.

It is time to help the bus company by providing parking areas outside of Town with areas for cycles to be safely left, so that a successful park-and-ride operation can exist.

Parking areas could easily be provided as follows: Belgrave Vinery, Longue Hougue, top of Le Val des Terres, field next to the water tower in the Forest oad.

The traffic from St Sampson's to St Peter Port is so heavy it is almost unmanageable.

If we were able to provide these park-and-ride facilities then people working in Town would most likely spend less time travelling because the roads would have far less traffic.

I do not think paid parking would help the Town at all and would therefore suggest that only long-term parking be paid for. For example, if workers or companies felt that vehicles need to be kept in long-term parking then an annual fee should be paid for each space required. Such spaces should be charged at a commercial rate, maybe £1,000 per annum.

I would suggest that in order to support these proposals, a charge of £50 per annum for a resident's parking permit and a £50 charge per annum for park-and-ride facilities.

If we entered into this type of format, we may satisfy all car users, cyclists and bus users because road usage would be reduced.

The second issue is that of the falling revenue to the island.

Most Guernsey residents told the government of the day that a zero-10 policy would not sustain the needs of expenditure to run the services required. That sad fact has now been admitted.

Much talk is going on about how to balance the books, with GST appearing to be the favoured way forward.

If GST were implemented, we would need additional staff, not only in the tax office, who are stretched to the limit at the moment, but also additional staff may be required for companies, which would possibly make them less competitive.

With the introduction of zero-10, the island has lost hundreds of millions of pounds. It would be interesting to know how much revenue would be collected if the zero was cancelled with a straightforward company tax at 10% for all companies.

If GST is introduced, it will hurt the low earners. If more revenue is required, company tax at 10% is collected then maybe a second tier of tax at say 23% may be a good way forward.

BRIAN CHAPMAN,

The Orchard,

Grandes Capelles,

St Sampson's,

GYT2 4UT.