No they don't - that's just a rant. They only hate the big lumps of metal that drivers leave lying about in inconvenient places. As the only punishment they can inflict is in the wallet, that is how they try to persuade us to behave. If there is less parking space than the vehicles wanting to use it, the rates go up. Simple.
It's not just a rant, it is actually fact and I'm talking generally, not specifically about this story.
Councils have spent the last 20 years doing their best to stop people using cars, but at the same time they still expect the high street shops to be full of people spending money. I'm sorry but you can't have both of them. The vast majority of solvent adults with money - ie, the people you want in your shops - own a car.
I'm ignoring London because it's practically a different planet and barely part of Britain anymore, I live in the real world in the East of England where Councils have done their best to limit car use. Over the last 10 years, they've pedestrianised two major town roads and paved over another with a 'shared space' near where I live. The Council themselves claim it's to deter car use. They want us all on bicycles, on the bus and frequenting Holland & Barrett as we all live exactly how they want us to.
Obviously the result is more shops have shut as people either go elsewhere, buy it online or don't bother. If it's not shutting roadspace then it's limiting parking. If it's not limiting parking then it's hiding the parking restriction signs 150 yards down the road to help them ticket more people. There's several other tricks they employ as well so they have no right to complain about empty shops.
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