Clocks will do nothing to ease Town parking and congestion

Call it what you want, it's a divisive issue but I echo others' thoughts that paying for Town parking is better than annual clocks which do nothing to solve existing congestion issues.

Let's explain the reasons.

Guernsey has for centuries had a free market economy. The laws of supply and demand exist in most walks of life, except when it comes to parking so far. (Please don't mention fuel tax as that's a big red herring.) Some parking areas are in low demand areas, whereas St Peter Port is particularly congested and the car parks are mostly on prime waterfront land.

If you cast your minds back to last October, the harbour consultations were concerned with how to raise more money to improve the harbours. The harbours haven't had any real expenditure in the last 25 years except most recently new cranes and they haven't got any money now because their profit or surplus of recent years has been largely spent on redeveloping the airport to bring in airlift in order to support the finance industry.

There are about 1,800 car spaces on the waterfront piers taking up acres of real estate and also looking unsightly given the Town's status as one of the most beautiful ports in Europe.

At the very least, Guernsey Harbours should be getting the income from the parking spaces to spend on upgrading the harbour facilities. After all, the piers form part of the infrastructure of the harbours, not the other way round.

I have some sympathy with low-paid shop workers, who are among those who would have to pay the charges, but there's more to the story. Have a look around the long-term car parks and you will see a lot of fairly new cars among some older cars – poor workers or well off? I don't know but those who drive to work are mainly sole occupants, that much is clear. Therefore, effectively masses of four-seater cars are taking up acres of space around the Town for free. Why?

If shop workers, for example, want to pay nothing or very minimal amounts to get to work there are choices: walk, cycle or take the bus. Now I hear voices say, 'Oh but I have to go home at lunchtime and feed my two dogs and I live in Castel ... later I have to pick up the kids from school to take them to dance class etc. etc. In this case the worker or employee considers their need to drive is essential but it is a lifestyle choice. The State does not force anyone to have animals or children. Now a benevolent or inefficient State with oceans of money might decide to carry on supporting said family but these days can Guernsey afford that luxury by reason of ageing population etc? It also comes back to land use and the supply and demand argument.

Because of the congestion and demand for space just alluded to, that sought after parking space comes at a premium. The problem is, at present, we have a one-size-fits-all policy – i.e. a lot of standard parking spaces for any vehicle. One solution is to overhaul the parking spaces and create more small car spaces for Smart Cars, Minis, Fiat 500s etc. Said dog owner would still be able to park in Town and attend to his or her dogs/children as needs be. If they have to have a larger car, i.e. for the dogs etc., they park further away in the lower cost car parks or pay the premium rate.

It's all about compromise but it's not about caving in to narrow interests.

Owning a large car for private use is a lifestyle choice not a necessity. If you have a big family and need a big car, the same reasoning applies.

In this way instead of a one-size-fits-all, it would be different sizes and different prices.

Example of transport methods compared:

Walking – free and healthy.

Cycling – very low cost and healthy.

Mopeds/scooters – £1.

Buses – £1 (or free?).

Small cars/city cars – £2 per day.

Other cars – £5 per day.

Other cars sharing – two people £2.50 per person, four people £1.25 each.

Short-term parking – free.

To those who say, 'I have the right to drive and park my Land Cruiser wherever I desire,' again, not so. If your vehicle takes up more space, then you pay for it pro rata. Some may say this is discriminatory against large cars but it isn't. It's common sense for a small island with limited space, although it's important to distinguish between different areas of the island.

We need to encourage car sharing for Town workers. In addition, there should be more motorbike/scooter parking bays, also larger cycle shelter areas and more and better bus shelters everywhere.

To all those who complain about more car taxes, wait a minute, do the maths and see how much a car, especially a big car, actually costs to run, especially for short distances. It's a lot more than one might think (www.theaa.com/resources/Documents/pdf/motoring-advice/running-costs/petrol2014.pdf).

For too long, the motorist has been intoxicated by his own sense of self-importance and grandeur, oblivious to the right of others to peaceful enjoyment of our island, be it locals or visitors.

Leaving aside motorists driving for commercial necessity or by way of disablement etc. there is a need to change the 'my right' culture because everyone else is indirectly paying for that selfishness. Deputies Lowe and Brouard, in this case, should recognise that their actions are an appeasement to a narrow set of people that is not in the interests of the island's future. What do you think?

www.userpayparking.gg

NORMAN ROCK,

normanrock@myself.com