Matt B
Quite. Preventing congestion accounts for 90% of TROs. The remainder are around schools and so on for safety.
I very much doubt it was caused by a parking charge. For starters, the number of people arriving by car to shop is probably a lot lower than you think. Nationally, 39% of shopping trips are made without traveling by car. Remember that that includes out-of-town shopping centres so for the average town centre, the percentage of trips made without a car is going to be much higher. Round here it's over 50%.
Let's look at the impact of charging on those who do choose to drive. For the sake of argument, let's buttume there is a neighbouring town 10 miles away that offers boundless free parking. I know this is unlikely but, hey, it's a thought experiment.
The average distance from the shops is less than 4.5 miles. buttume cost of parking is 50p an hour.
Option 1 - drive locally and park:
parking cost for 2 hrs : = £1.00
Option 2 - drive to next town:
fuel cost & 12p per mile : .13 * 20 = £2.60
OK, I've estimated here, there and everywhere. I've excluded the non-fuel marginal costs of driving which the AA reckon add another 7p per mile. But it gives a pretty good indication that price of parking ain't nothing to do with it.
And, ultimately, if someone is so price sensitive that a pound or so puts them off coming, is that really the sort of custom a town should be worried about losing?
If they are never more than 20% full, one has to wonder why the landowner doesn't sell off 80% for development and make an absolute killing. If these are council owned car parks, the council tax payers should be demanding this - a few million quid invested would knock a chunk of the council tax.
A car park is not a civic amenity. Remember you are talking about land that could be used for housing, education, employment or shops. None of these uses would create anywhere near the degree of congestion and pollution that a car park creates. Finally, car parks are used by a small percentage of the population and it is only fair that the user pays.
