Problems with car parking at Liskeard since charges were introduced by FGW

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From thisiscornwall:

Neighbours are pleading with commuters in Liskeard to park sensibly to stop the town being "painted yellow with double lines".

Since controversial charges were introduced at the town's railway station earlier this year, commuters have been causing chaos by parking on residential streets to avoid paying. Residents fear for their safety as the parked cars have caused major problems by blocking access routes, restricting traffic and holding up emergency vehicles.

At a crisis meeting on Thursday, councillors, police and representatives from Cornwall Council highways department and Travelwatch Southwest discussed ways to solve problems currently in the town. And proposals to paint double yellow lines or introducing a residents' parking scheme were raised as potential last resorts.
 
First Great Western introduced the ^2 daily parking charge to commuters leaving their cars at the station in the spring. After the announcement, the former Caradon District Council warned commuters would cause severe congestion in residential streets after the controversial decision came into force. Surveys taken at random have shown the station car park is now underused.

Local police are issuing leaflets to inappropriately parked cars in an attempt to educate drivers causing problems for other residents and emergency services.

[IndustryInsider]

Good to see the good old stock words 'commuters' and 'chaos' even find their way into articles in deepest darkest Cornwall. Only 'misery' is missing. Here's hoping that the 'crisis' meeting resolves this 'severe' and 'controversial' situation before 'safety' is compromised, 'last resorts' measures have to be introduced, and desperate journalists run out of hi-impact OTT^▸ (Open Train Times website) phrases...

[Feckham]

Hi

Or alternatively those doom breeding journalists should perhaps look at it from the angle of :-

"Motorist's squeeze into the smallest parking spaces and congest town, after FGW^▸ (First Great Western) asked them to pay for the priviledge of parking on their land, and taking away valid parking spaces for those travelling on their services"

I would doubt very much that a ^2 per day charge for parking at the station on top of the fare would be any deterrent to the genuine travelling FGW customer.

Perhaps the journalists should start doing true investagative work, and ask those clogging up the streets, where they used to park previously and why their habits have suddenly changed.

[devon_metro]

I wish it was ^2 to park at Totnes/Newton Abbot/Paignton!

[Phil Farmer]

The last time I parked at Reading Station, I was charged almost ^10 for the day. However, in comparison, I was very suprised to find that it was free, to park at Hungerford Station, the other day.  Both FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Stations.

[Btline]

All station car parks should be free for rail users. We pay enough in fares.

I don't suppose they made huge efforts to improve cycle lanes and parking around the station prior to the charges coming in.

[inspector_blakey]

Genius. After all, you'd never get people buying very cheap tickets for footlingly short journeys with no intention of travelling in order to park for very little money in prime city centre locations, would you?

[Btline]

I doubt people would think of that.

Besides - with the current situation, non rail users can still pay and use the car parks!

[Phil]

It wasn't that long ago that I discovered you could park for ^0.20p less in the car park at the back of Chippenham station compared to the one at the front, and with less of a distance to walk to the trains as well (unless you need to visit the ticket office). Still costs ^4.50 a day though.

The Car park at Melksham Parkway meanwhile remains free! Wahoo!

[devon_metro]

All station car parks should be free for rail users. We pay enough in fares.

Another "out of this world" statement me thinks

I think they should be more fairly priced, i.e not ^8 to park at East Mids Parkway for the day (!!!). If they were free, integrated transport would go out of the window.

[Mookiemoo]

The Car park at Melksham Parkway meanwhile remains free! Wahoo!

Er.......would chargin not actually require trains for people to use other wise there is no point

[Phil]

Yes. I was being mildly sarcastic. Sorry.

[Timmer]

Yes. I was being mildly sarcastic. Sorry.

I got it and thought it was rather good but then again I do have a dry sense of humour.




Edit note:  At this point, a series of rather amusing posts were made, which I think deserve their own topic, without being lost within the mainstream debate here. I therefore moved those posts to a new topic, at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=5165.0 Chris 

[RailCornwall]

There should be discounted parking available for travellers. I'm not suggesting free, although it would be a good gesture, Simply issue these car parking tickets when booking, which could be left in the car for the duration of the journey, say at ^1.50 per day or part of a day or ^7 per week.

Non travellers or those not pre-booking should continue to pay similar rates to those currently charged if not higher.

[Btline]

I don't like the way that station car parks are treated as not just for rail users.

Non travellers or those not pre-booking should continue to pay similar rates to those currently charged if not higher.

In my opinion, if Rail Cornwall's idea was taken up, I would expect the "non travellers' " rate to be sky high to stop shoppers clogging up spaces.

But there should be several free 20 mins max spaces, to allow people to see off/ collect and use the ticket office.