Charges for parking meters cannot be justified

12:59pm Thursday 24th March 2005

Why are we now paying for parking by the 20 minutes? How often can one go into a shop and be able to come out again in that time?

The response may be to pay for 40 minutes, but that also ignores the problem of queues and stress. Surely, if we are trying to stop all-day parking near stations (where most shops are) and ensure spaces so people can shop at local shops, what is needed is a low charge per hour or half-hour with a little more margin allowed for error.

Instead, we have an expensive and rigorously enforced system that drives me into utter frustration. If charges are lower, then people will be happier to pay for an hour and stay only 20 minutes if that is all it takes.

Perhaps one should stand as an independent anti-parking charges in the present form' candidate at a local election?

Alan Magnus
Latimer Road, Monken Hadley