.... between parking charges and idiotic one way systems/corridors have made town centres hell.

Of course it's in the nature of motorists to grumble about this kind of thing. But it's the number of cars and the people driving them that is the root cause. Anyone got a good workable idea of how to provide adequate free parking for everyone, just where they want it ?

Thought not ....

Our local town centre Morrisons has finally and thankfully put NPR cameras in and imposed a 2.5 hour limit, previously it was very difficult to park for shopping during the day because town workers parked there all day for free, its still free but the limit has stopped the all day parkers taking advantage and leaving no space for Morrisons customers.

On a general note, the various bodies of apparatchiks has succeeded beyond their wildest dreams, their persecution of the solvent motorist shopper has worked well, we, along with many others seldom use the town shops at all (apart from the aforesaid Morrisons) in any town and wouldn't go within miles of a city, between parking charges and idiotic one way systems/corridors have made town centres hell.

So internet shopping it is, comfortable chair, drink, toilet without having to queue or pay for the privelidge (a huge bugbear of SWMBO and mine the scandalous state and lack of public inconveniences), no gauntlets of road idiots or scameras, no low-life's to avoid motorised or pedestrianised, nice man pulls up in a van, rings bell, dogs go crackers, items delivered...thankyou councils for showing us the light.

Morrisons seems to be a bit more enlightened on this front - my local ones charge a pound (3 hours max) but refund it if you at least spend that much in-store, and have no charge on Sundays.

I suppose from the Councils' pov they may not see any revenue if parking charges are removed, as business rates are I think fixed (i.e. not dependent upon business revenues or profits), and corporation tax is paid by bigger firms (the main beneficiaries of no parking charges being small businesses who like don't pay corporation tax) who pay such taxes directly to central government, wherby that money doesn't get back to the local council (which I think a precentage should do by law, which WOULD encourage free parking).

I can understand why some councils do charge high amounts for parking, especially those whose towns and cities are clogged with traffic and/or whose medieval streets (as well as a lack of viable land for sympathetic car parks [not always easy if every building around is Listed]) were obviously not designed for today's motorised society - the main problem being is that it just penalises everyone bar the rich, whom in such places (central London, Cambridge, other old cities and towns) are (with housing costs going through the roof) displacing ordinary people who just can't afford to live and shop there. Park & Ride facilities do help, but are no good if you are doing a big shop as the buses don't have sufficient storage for all passengers if they are carrying more than a couple of bags each.