Letter: If Park & Ride Was Priced to be Self-Financing, Would That Affect Footfall?

Published on: 20 Feb, 2021
Updated on: 20 Feb, 2021

From: Martin Elliott

In response to: Financial Truths That Face Down Political Misinformation

If Cllr Redpath wishes to correct misinformation on car parking, I’d suggest he reads more carefully the latest business case which included the latest brilliant plan to encourage “shoppers” into town while still in lockdown, when the message is” “Stay at Home”, and go out only for “essential” needs.

I know government circulars on car parking budgets have probably changed, but they used to “suggest” that such budgets should not be made to generate a surplus. Any surplus had to be used for transport spending.

The last report showed the town centre car parking overall had a surplus of ~£200,000. Was this used ” …to help subsidise the fantastic range of services the council offers”. But no, it shouldn’t and wasn’t. It was used to subsidise the underutilised Park & Ride system.

According to the document, a further ~£400,000 was needed from the general budget to cover the P&R running costs. There were notes that initiatives were being made to reduce costs of P&R, but not anywhere near the necessary £600,000.

So town-centre car parking only subsidises, and incompletely, out-of-town P&R.

I wonder if anybody has looked at the pricing of P&R to be self-financing like the town centre and what effect that would have on footfall?

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