Twyford Station car parking - merged topic, ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Wokingham Times:

Twyford's MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) has demanded talks with rail bosses after it was announced commuters in the village would be hit further in the pocket following an increase in parking charges.

Theresa May will meet with First Great Western (FGW^▸ (First Great Western)) officials and the Department for Transport after the train operator increased its car parking prices at Twyford station by 25 per cent.

Passengers who park at the station before taking the train to London or Reading have seen the daily tariff, which is valid until midnight, rise from ^4.40 to ^5.60.

The price of off-peak parking at the Station Road facility has also been driven up from ^2.20 to ^2.80 ^ but this now comes in to effect from 10am, meaning some passengers can take advantage of the price an hour early.

FGW, which runs services between London Paddington, Reading and the west from Twyford, has said the charges are necessary because the money it subsidises for car parking has reduced.

But Mrs May, whose Maidenhead constituency covers Twyford and the northern parishes, is not impressed. She said: ^These huge increases in car parking charges are outrageous and yet another way of raising revenue from rail users who are already paying large fares. I will be taking this up with FGW and the Department of Transport and asking for an explanation as to where this money will be spent and where local rail users will see improvements.^

The Conservative MP went on to explain how passengers can take advantage of a new telephone system which offers drivers a daily parking tariff of just ^5 at the station.

RingGo allows motorists to pay for parking without having to visit a meter, and simply requires a mobile phone and payment card.

Drivers register their car details with the service before being able to park by simply declaring where and how long they require a space for.

^The introduction of the RingGo service will cushion the blow for some but I still believe FGW assume they can get away with large increases as they are effectively a monopoly provider,^ Mrs May said.

The increase has also been criticised by Passenger Focus, the independent passenger watchdog.

Mike Greedy, manager of the organisation, has suggested the government should step in and regulate the costs of car parking at train stations. He said: ^Passengers will be disappointed by these latest price hikes. Car parking fees are not regulated so passengers are at the train company^s mercy when it comes to how much they have to pay to park at the station. Passengers factor in the price of car parking into the cost of travelling by train and for some passengers this may make the railway more unaffordable.^

A spokesman for FGW explained how the price of parking at its stations remains competitive, despite the increase. He said: ^We have reduced the amount we subside car parking at our stations, particularly in areas where non-rail passengers are using our facilities and leaving less space for genuine customers. For the past three years we have absorbed increasing costs of car parking maintenance, however, given the current climate this is no longer sustainable in the long term. We have been working with local authorities to make sure our prices remain less than town and city centre car parks."

[Btline]

So I assume that Tory policy is to subsidise rail car parking charges then? Thus meaning the rail sector will be protected from 10% cuts in this recession?

I think not.

[devon_metro]

So I assume that Tory policy is to subsidise rail car parking charges then? Thus meaning the rail sector will be protected from 10% cuts in this recession?

I think not.

I don't see labour doing much about it.

[Electric train]

See my local MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) is complaining about something about a Government she was a member of, indeed Transport Secretary at one time.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Erm, sorry, Electric train, but Theresa May has not yet been Transport Secretary: she was the shadow, under Ian Duncan Smith, 18 September 2001 ^ 23 July 2002.

[grahame]

Erm, sorry, Electric train, but Theresa May has not yet been Transport Secretary: she was the shadow, under Ian Duncan Smith, 18 September 2001 ^ 23 July 2002.

Interestingly, we see a lot more coverage from Theresa May on transport issues that we do from Theresa Villiers who is (is still, I think?) shadow transport secretary.  The former shadow - Chris Grayling was much more impressive (and he was looking forward and to new policies, so the Tories from 2010 will not necessarily do what they did 10 and 20 years ago) - indeed, so impressive that he was moved up to what is perceived as a more important role.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Just to confirm, Theresa Villiers has been shadow Secretary of State for Transport since 2 July 2007. 

[Btline]

I don't see labour doing much about it.

You've missed the point; Labour aren't complaining.

I agree with Theresa 100%, but she is just complaining to get votes, when SHE know that the Tories would do NOTHING about it!

[devon_metro]

I don't see labour doing much about it.

You've missed the point; Labour aren't complaining.

Does that therefore show they don't care?

At least under the tories we might get taxed a little bit less and be able to afford the car park price rises 

[Btline]

I don't think any government can realistically cut taxes at the moment.

Of course, one Tory policy is to cut inheritance tax for the richest people in the country, so an unimportant thing like Crossrail could fund that.

[Electric train]

I agree with Theresa 100%, but she is just complaining to get votes, when SHE know that the Tories would do NOTHING about it!

She is actually a good local MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) and tackles many local issues like closures of sub post offices, just a shame she is in the wrong party as far as the railways are concerned

[argg]

Does anyone know, officially, the current status of the 5 parking spaces immediately in front of the station building?

There are three painted spaces next to the footbridge which I have used occasionally (when available) - other cars parked there also have APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area) season tickets.  As I was parking there yesterday, I was (very politely) informed by the guy from the news kiosk that those spaces were allocated as 2 for staff and one for his van and that I shouldn't park there as I would be clamped! Being a good and trusting citizen (if I may say so myself) I duly moved the car to the main season ticket car park to let him use his space.

My point is, there are no notices or specific road markings to show these are not available for parking season ticket holders (as are the other 6 spaces by the bus stop).  The spaces were unavailable during the replacement footbridge works but now that is complete the spaces have merely been repainted with white lines and that is all.

Are they fair game in the absence of official notices to the contrary?

Similarly the two spaces right next to the ticket office used to be (if I recall correctly) disabled spaces (and quite rightly so!).  Again, they have merely been repainted in white lines with no indication that they are disabled or drop off/pick up spaces.  There does however seem to be an acceptance that those spaces stay free.

Am I too trusting, have I been conned?  I have no problem with the spaces not being available to the public. The further the walk from the main car park is better for me and believe me, I would love to avoid the annual ^1000 by cycling I but live too far away.

However if the spaces are for general use then it would rude not to use them wouldn't it? 

[Mookiemoo]

I'm a bit militant when it comes to parking - but I'd park in them!

If they arent signed accordingly they are free game.

But then I do/did use the 20 minute spaces at shrub hill and appealed a parking ticket.  My grounds were that I was done for "not displaying a valid parking ticket".  Which is correct - I was not.  But then you don't have to in a 20 minute space.  The correct offence should have been "overstaying the limit on a restricted space".  But they got it wrong.  And I got off.

[argg]

I am inclined to agree with you.  The news kiosk closes mid-morning so it does seem a waste of a space.

There is something nice about returning after a long day, surviving the cattle truck experience, and stepping straight into the car.  It makes you feel special - and lets face it very little else about FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Thames Valley local services makes you feel special.

[BBM]

On the subject of car parking at Twyford:

http://www.twyford-advertiser.co.uk/News/Areas/Twyford/Commuters-held-to-ransom-at-Twyford-station-car-park-16102012.htm

Commuters are being 'held to ransom' by the inflated cost of parking at Twyford station's car park.

That is the view of David Gray, a Waltham St Lawrence villager, who says commuters are getting a raw deal and is calling on Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) to provide cheaper parking options.

Mr Gray has criticised a raft of parking restrictions intended to prevent commuters parking in Broad Hinton and Waltham Road.

He says the measures will not tackle the root cause of the issue, which is a lack of affordable parking options.

"Drivers with nowhere else to go are held to ransom," said Mr Gray, who refuses to pay the daily station car park fare and gets dropped off there.

"The parking is just too expensive and borough residents who live too far to walk or cycle to the station are trapped with no alternative."

Mr Gray asked why WBC has yet to address the issue, and believes the raft of restrictions set to be imposed will push the problem elsewhere in the village.

He added: "If the council identified an area for an alternative car park, where the cost of parking could at least provide competition, I for one would happily use the car park again."

The daily cost of parking at the station car park, operated by APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area), has risen from ^2.40 to ^6-plus in recent years.

Cllr Keith Baker, cabinet member for highways and transport at WBC, said there are a lack of options for a new car park in Twyford and added the council couldn't and wouldn't build one on greenbelt land.

He added the cost of council parking in Twyford is the cheapest in the borough.

He also urged irate commuters to lobby Network Rail, which owns the car park, to increase its capacity.

WBC is set to approve plans for single and double yellow lines in Broad Hinton and Waltham Road this month.