Parking hike 'could help cut congestion'
A TRANSPORT expert has called on the city council to raise car parking charges in Plymouth to encourage more people to take the bus.
However, Prof John Shaw rejected the idea of introducing the controversial congestion charge for the city.
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Prof Shaw was speaking after a web survey identified Plymouth Sutton ward as the ninth most congested in the country – though he said this was a quirk of how the constituency boundaries were drawn.
The director of the Centre for Sustainable Transport at the University of Plymouth has just co-edited a book called Traffic Jam which attacks the Government's failure to get people out of their cars and on to public transport.
But Plymouth City Council's transport supremo has already rejected a call for higher parking charges.
Prof Shaw said that people needed an incentive to get out of their cars and that at the moment bus fares in Plymouth were 'very expensive'.
He added: "Major cities should have some kind of meaningful 'stick' designed to get people out of their cars, but only if there has been a large-scale upfront investment in public transport to offer people a genuine choice.
"We need to make sure that people who use public transport have a good experience and are treated like human beings, not like cattle."
Prof Shaw said that Plymouth was too small for a congestion charge to work.
He added: "There would have to be a huge investment in infrastructure for a return of not very much money."
Prof Shaw admitted that it was difficult for councils to act because of national policies and a lack of regional funding.
A website, keepmoving.co.uk, run by a traffic information company, ranked Plymouth Sutton as the ninth most congested constituency in the country.
Prof Shaw stressed that congestion was usually confined to specific areas such as Laira Bridge and lasted for relatively short periods.
Other city centres which are busier, such as Birmingham or Manchester, happen to be divided between several constituencies which are not ranked highly on their own.
Cllr Kevin Wigens, the council's cabinet member for transport, has already rejected a similar call by the Government to raise parking charges.
He said that a balance had to be struck between charges and making sure that people came into the city and spent money, which in turn created jobs.
Traffic Jam, 10 Years of 'Sustainable' Transport in the UK, co-edited with Dr Iain Docherty from the University of Glasgow, is published by The Policy Press, based at the University of Bristol.
A public lecture is being delivered by one of the book's contributors, Prof Phil Goodwin, in the Stonehouse lecture theatre, in the Portland Square Building, at the University of Plymouth at 6.30pm on Thursday.
36 Comments
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by Sukie, Mannamead
Thursday, October 30 2008, 1:38PM
“Blimey Ms_A. You were up early today. Yeah, as Royroy said, they didn't realise it was a wind-up. Some folk take life very seriously. Cats rule!”
by Ms_Anthrope, Mannamead
Thursday, October 30 2008, 9:12AM
“It's been a joy RobRoy. A real joy. Have a good day.”
by RobRoy, The Delta Quadrant
Wednesday, October 29 2008, 10:49PM
“Rich, Crownhill - I think you have a very good idea there, the most sensible I've heard so far.
Ms_A, thanks for an entertaining day, a brilliant wind-up! I can't believe so many people have risen to the bait. It just shows how many numpties there are out there that will bite at anything.
Wish I'd thought of it myself!”
by Ms_Anthrope, Mannamead
Wednesday, October 29 2008, 8:35PM
“Uncle Monty - you make a very good point. Perhaps the charge could be given out per-person, say £3 a head, to encourage people to car share. A car load of 5 people would then get £15, plenty of incentive to visit Plymouth and spend lots of money.
As for Roy and anon, this is a serious debate and there is no place for stupid comments such as yours.”
by Molly, Sutton
Wednesday, October 29 2008, 8:02PM
“Buses are so cheap and if you use the major routes they are very frequent. if you live out on the estates you just need to co-ordinate your movements. As a non-car owner i am very accustomed to the benefits and vaguaries of public transport. Plymouth is a very unpleasant place to drive in and through. In the daytime it is generally clogged. friends and family who come to visit us or take us out regard the local road system as hell.”
by Steve, Plymouth
Wednesday, October 29 2008, 6:59PM
“What is the Council thinking of? The shops need the trade in the so-called 'Credit Crunch'. All the raising of parking charges will do is drive people out of town to the supermarkets. Have they taken a look at the bottom half of the City Centre recently? Most of the shops are either empty or struggling as people cease to go past the doors to the outside world beyond the Mall.
Lower the Charges!”
by mark, plymouth
Wednesday, October 29 2008, 6:59PM
“lets just keep the day trippers and extra shoppers away from the town centre. Good move PCC how to alianate the rest by hiking up parking.”
by ROY, PLYMOUTH
Wednesday, October 29 2008, 6:49PM
“Ms. Anthrope.
I really suggest that you go and get someone to explain to you what Congestion Charging is all about.”
by anon, anon
Wednesday, October 29 2008, 5:53PM
“Ms_a, you really dont understand what a congestion charge is, they have one in london they dont pay people to drive into the town you have to pay, why on earth would people get payed to travel into the town, the whole point of a congestion charge is to CUT congestion if they payed people to visit then there would be more congestion.”
by Uncle Monty, crow cragg
Wednesday, October 29 2008, 5:15PM
“Yet again Miss A misses the point entirely. Silly girl. Allow me to put her right Roy.
Miss A if you pay £7-50 for small cars, and only £2-50 for 4x4s the economy will suffer. People with 4x4s tend to have a lot more money, and more room in their cars for purchases; than people with small cars. The idea behind this scheme is to attract money into Plymouth centre.
Surely it would make sense that the bigger the vehicle, the more you would get paid?
Or am I missing something?”