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Title: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: ChrisB on November 11, 2016, 15:47:26 From an email from Mark Hopwood
Quote Since 2011 we have been working with our partner APCOA to maintain the good condition of our car parks without increasing charges. This means we have been able to hold prices for five years. This is no longer feasible and there will be changes from 11 December, when the winter timetable comes into effect. The average daily increase is 0.19p. Details for each station are on the parking information page of our website https://www.gwr.com/plan-journey/journey-information/travel-connections/car-parking (https://www.gwr.com/plan-journey/journey-information/travel-connections/car-parking) and will shortly be displayed on signage in our car parks and we will be issuing a media release. We have also written to annual season ticket holders, offering them the opportunity to renew their season parking permit at the current rates regardless of the season tickets expiry date. Making these changes will mean we can support a series of car park investments such as upgrading our pay and display machines and our payment card systems, additional automatic number plate recognition and a car park extension programme which will add an extra 2,100 spaces to car parks across our network. It is never easy to ask customers to pay more, however, it is important that we maintain and improve our car parks and I thought it important that you should know about the increases and the reasoning behind the changes. Title: Re: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: SandTEngineer on November 11, 2016, 16:08:32 I like the average increase quote when my local station is increasing by nearly 10% and will be the third most expensive on the GWR network >:( :(
Title: Re: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: John R on November 11, 2016, 17:23:09 0.19p per day works out at around a penny for the week, so perfectly reasonable if correct. Sadly I suspect it's not correct.
Title: Re: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: LiskeardRich on November 11, 2016, 17:24:23 My local station car park has been free for around 3 months! Photo taken every time I park and no penalty charges. Received
Title: Re: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: LiskeardRich on November 11, 2016, 17:25:13 0.19p per day works out at around a penny for the week, so perfectly reasonable if correct. Sadly I suspect it's not correct. I suspect is meant to be £0.19 Title: Re: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: John R on November 11, 2016, 17:27:24 Indeed I suspect you are right...
Title: Re: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: SandTEngineer on November 12, 2016, 09:29:49 The point I was making in my post above is that 'average' price rises are always misleading and are are just used to try to 'dumb down' the bad news element of such announcements ::) :P
Title: Re: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: ellendune on November 12, 2016, 10:13:21 The point I was making in my post above is that 'average' price rises are always misleading and are are just used to try to 'dumb down' the bad news element of such announcements ::) :P Looks like Swindon have stayed the same. One issue about parking charges though is that if the council or other providers in the area put their charges up then station parking sometimes has to rise or it ceases to provide parking for rail travellers. That is unless they use the system they have at Parkway or Oxford (reminder to GWR about need for this in Swindon). Title: Re: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: patch38 on November 12, 2016, 11:07:14 Looks like Swindon have stayed the same. If you follow the link in the first post, Swindon has gone down. It suggests the 'by phone' tariff (i.e. APCOA Connect) for Swindon West Main (2165) is £7.70. It's currently £7.90. Am I missing something? Title: Re: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: IndustryInsider on November 12, 2016, 11:23:21 I'm amazed the prices have been held for five years. I thought parking charges was one area all the TOCs were keen to rip off passengers the most as they're unregulated.
Title: Re: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: NickB on November 12, 2016, 23:58:41 Merry Christmas to you too Mr Hopwood.
Title: Re: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: ellendune on November 13, 2016, 08:48:50 Looks like Swindon have stayed the same. If you follow the link in the first post, Swindon has gone down. It suggests the 'by phone' tariff (i.e. APCOA Connect) for Swindon West Main (2165) is £7.70. It's currently £7.90. Am I missing something? I don't know i only use the West Car Park as a) it is cheaper; b) the main car park is usually full most of the times I get there; and c) its easier to use the one that is the default on my phone! Title: Re: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: didcotdean on November 13, 2016, 08:56:07 I'm amazed the prices have been held for five years. I thought parking charges was one area all the TOCs were keen to rip off passengers the most as they're unregulated. They rose quite quickly in the first few years of APCOA. Some of the car parks had some security investment in them but by no means all.By comparison parking at Didcot in 1993 was £1.10 per day weekdays and de facto free at the weekend as no one was employed to collect at the entrance. Title: Re: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: patch38 on November 13, 2016, 09:23:10 OK - I've solved the mystery and uncovered something slightly sneaky:
The prices shown at https://www.gwr.com/plan-journey/journey-information/travel-connections/car-parking (https://www.gwr.com/plan-journey/journey-information/travel-connections/car-parking) are the current rates, not the new ones. The reason I thought there was a discrepancy on the APCOA Connect price is because they charge 10p per SMS they send to you (you can opt out of the service but it automatically opts you in when you join) and I don't recall it being blindinly obvious that the service is chargeable. So the daily 'Connect' rate at 2165 (Swindon Main) is £7.70 plus two lots of 10p = £7.90. Caveat emptor. But if it caught me out, I bet there are others who are unaware of that little add-on. Title: Re: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: LiskeardRich on November 13, 2016, 09:24:59 OK - I've solved the mystery and uncovered something slightly sneaky: The prices shown at https://www.gwr.com/plan-journey/journey-information/travel-connections/car-parking (https://www.gwr.com/plan-journey/journey-information/travel-connections/car-parking) are the current rates, not the new ones. The reason I thought there was a discrepancy on the APCOA Connect price is because they charge 10p per SMS they send to you (you can opt out of the service but it automatically opts you in when you join) and I don't recall it being blindinly obvious that the service is chargeable. So the daily 'Connect' rate at 2165 (Swindon Main) is £7.70 plus two lots of 10p = £7.90. Caveat emptor. But if it caught me out, I bet there are others who are unaware of that little add-on. And from memory you can only opt out on your online account. No option to do so on the telephone system. Title: Re: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: patch38 on November 13, 2016, 09:42:25 And now they have an app (they didn't when I enrolled), you don't really need any of the SMS stuff anyway, although the reminder SMS has been useful on a couple of occasions.
Title: Re: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: BBM on November 18, 2016, 10:30:57 From the Reading Chronicle:
http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/14913955.Commuters__parking_to_rise_by_up_to___78_a_year/ (http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/14913955.Commuters__parking_to_rise_by_up_to___78_a_year/) Quote The following per-day price increases apply at the following stations: Twyford 30p, Tilehurst 30p, Mortimer 20p, Theale 30p, Thatcham 20p, Pangbourne 30p and Aldermaston 10p. Title: Re: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: ChrisB on November 18, 2016, 11:07:41 I understand that the initial email came out prematurely & that the new prices are now to found on their website
Title: Re: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: LiskeardRich on November 18, 2016, 11:51:16 And now they have an app (they didn't when I enrolled), you don't really need any of the SMS stuff anyway, although the reminder SMS has been useful on a couple of occasions. The SMS is not much use at my station, all tickets expire at 2359, they only do full day tickets so it's easy to know when tickets expiring. It's ok as a confirmation I've paid successfully though. Title: Re: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: Jason on November 18, 2016, 12:26:11 Is this quote verbatim and for real:
He said:“While I understand that no one wishes to pay more, this price increase will help our rail users take advantage of railway provided parking, and will enable further car parking facilities where they are most needed across the GWR network.” and "it was necessary for the rail company to add further facilities." I'm not aware of any facilities at my local car park other than a metal sign telling you how to pay by phone or online (the actual payment machine having been removed many years ago). Title: Re: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: mfpa on December 04, 2016, 01:13:55 But if it caught me out, I bet there are others who are unaware of that little add-on. Obviously if they don't clearly ask you to accept chargeable texts they cannot enforce you paying for them. And if you have not explicitly given your mobile phone provider permission to give money to a third party and charge it to you, they are on a sticky wicket if you challenge the theft through the courts. Title: Re: Car Park Price Rises Dec16 Post by: LiskeardRich on March 28, 2017, 15:10:39 Used liskeard car park today as I was running late. 100% increase since I last used it (well infinity and beyond!)
Previously £1, now £2. Although the meter was out of action for months with parking being free for quite some time! This page is printed from the "Coffee Shop" forum at http://gwr.passenger.chat which is provided by a customer of Great Western Railway. Views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that content provided contravenes our posting rules ( see http://railcustomer.info/1761 ). The forum is hosted by Well House Consultants - http://www.wellho.net |