Letter: Do Parking Charges Deter Shoppers?

Published on: 29 Aug, 2017
Updated on: 28 Aug, 2017

From Bernard Parke

Hon Alderman and former Mayor of Guildford

It was interesting to learn that Guildford is in the top ten for parking charge income. The question must be asked, does this actually deter shoppers coming into the town centre?

Paying parking fees in advance rather than paying for them on leaving does incline to make shoppers leave as soon as possible to avoid running over their allotted times.

We seem to see an increasing number of empty shop units in the town and with the modern trend of on-line shopping does this bode ill for central trade.

Perhaps the congestion caused by through traffic must also effect shoppers venturing to our shops. These vehicles add very little or nothing to our town and as such should pay a congestion charge as some recompense for their contribution to our polution problem.

Yes park and ride would help, but is this working to its full potential?

I say this because the Onslow Park & Ride has not been a success, mainly due to the lack of a suitable entrance from the A3. Still, after nearly four years, it is not completely finished.

Responses to Letter: Do Parking Charges Deter Shoppers?

Nyree Lowndes Reply

August 29, 2017 at 9:56 am

I totally agree.

Last summer I attended a funeral in town, and it was sad to see how many of the congregation, having attended to bid farewell to a dear friend, were anxiously checking their watches and having to leave early in order not to overrun their parking time.

I avoid going into Guildford because the parking is so expensive, and the only car park I feel safe using (York Road) is a difficult walk along narrow, lumpy pavements to the shops. It does, however, operate a pay-as-you-leave system.
Brian Holt Reply

August 29, 2017 at 2:30 pm

I never shop in Guildford unless I am in the town for other reasons, I would go to Staines-upon-Thames. The town is flat and compact, with plenty of close by parking and it’s cheaper. There is a large market on Saturdays, not sure if its there other days.

The suggested congestion charge for non-shoppers driving into Guildford town centre, how would you know what vehicles they are?

Would Guildford residents be happy to pay congestion charges when going into other nearby towns to shop or pass through those towns?

And would Guildford residents be happy if other towns also brought in a congestion charge? Just think what the extra cost would be for a day out to the coast or going away on holidays to Devon or Cornwall.

Editor’s note: Congestion charge schemes normally utilise automatic number plate recognition technology to identify vehicles that qualify for charges and those that do not.
Bernard Parke Reply

August 29, 2017 at 4:45 pm

There is an automatic number plate recognition system currently being used at the cathedral.

If you stay for a few minutes over a two hour period you face an eighty pound fine!
Neville Bryan Reply

August 29, 2017 at 11:05 pm

I avoid Guildford now. It’s an effort to get in, nowhere to park, and when there is it expensive and inflexible.

The internet is freely available, pre-paid, and often cheaper. And we wonder why retail is contracting?

Looking forward to that “modal shift” with no bus funding, and a 40% increase in retail space promised by that Local Plan thing. The town will be all charity shops and estate agents by the time that kicks in. Speaking of which has anybody looked at the top of the high street recently?
Russell Morris Reply

August 30, 2017 at 6:16 am

Yes, I think charges do discourage shoppers. I used to go into Guildford once or twice a week, whether or not I needed to buy anything. Of course, I usually did end up buying something, sometimes spending quite a lot on an impulse purchase.

Bernard Parke’s comments made me think. I now visit less than once a month and only if I need to.

What has changed? Nothing at all, except the introduction of a very small charge for OAPs on the Park & Ride bus. Can I afford to pay it? Yes, of course I can. Somehow, though, it is a disincentive to making a merely spontaneous shopping trip.

Perhaps my consumer’s brain sees expenditure on a service as less worthwhile than expenditure on actual stuff.