Should Parking Be Subsidised?

Your views on traffic and parking in the town

Should council owned car parks be subsidised

Yes
12
67%
No
6
33%
 
Total votes: 18

User avatar
Steve
Project Leader
Posts:807
Joined:Wed 06 Nov, 2013 12:01 am
Re: Should Parking Be Subsidised?

Post by Steve » Wed 21 May, 2014 8:13 pm

MultiDad wrote:In response to James.

No to subsidy

Yes to fuel duty bring increased to cover cost of roads etc. although at 475 a year my RFL probably does that.

IMHO, there shouldn't be road tax but the cost of fixing and making new roads should be part of the cost of fuel. It might help to keep the roads quieter as well.
Total government spending on roads 2011-12 = £7.7bn
Taxes collected from motorists 2011-12 = £58bn

Source: http://www.roadusers.org.uk/chapters/in ... nvestments" target="_blank

User avatar
james
Posts:62
Joined:Mon 02 Dec, 2013 12:22 pm

Re: Should Parking Be Subsidised?

Post by james » Wed 21 May, 2014 11:35 pm

The Road Users Alliance are only telling half the story there.

The full report from the DfT concludes that motorists are subsidised to the tune of £9.6 billion.

http://ipayroadtax.com/no-such-thing-as ... -motoring/" target="_blank

There was another report that shows motorists are subsidised to the tune of €600 by each EU citizen.
Car pollution, noise and accidents 'cost every EU citizen £600 a year.
http://gu.com/p/3cktg" target="_blank

User avatar
Steve
Project Leader
Posts:807
Joined:Wed 06 Nov, 2013 12:01 am

Re: Should Parking Be Subsidised?

Post by Steve » Thu 22 May, 2014 1:13 am

OK, here's another related question: Should public money be used to subsidise services that boost the economy? (leaving aside arguments about how you might measure that boost).

User avatar
james
Posts:62
Joined:Mon 02 Dec, 2013 12:22 pm

Re: Should Parking Be Subsidised?

Post by james » Thu 22 May, 2014 8:37 am

Yes. But there's no evidence that subsidising parking boosts the economy.

Golden
Posts:237
Joined:Sun 01 Dec, 2013 10:36 am

Re: Should Parking Be Subsidised?

Post by Golden » Thu 22 May, 2014 8:40 am

Steve we're talking about a very localised issue here and my belief is that the local councils should work within their powers to support local economies and try to boost local businesses by subsidy if necessary.

I've noted before that Bishops Stortford seems to have councillors in powerful positions and believe that the results of that is being seen in the town - some of our councillors on EHDC need to stand up for Hertford!!

User avatar
james
Posts:62
Joined:Mon 02 Dec, 2013 12:22 pm

Re: Should Parking Be Subsidised?

Post by james » Thu 22 May, 2014 8:42 am

Cambridge has very expensive parking, and pretty much no on-street parking in the centre. It also has the lowest empty shop rate in the UK.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/News/Ci ... 022013.htm" target="_blank

Kateg28
Posts:254
Joined:Tue 03 Dec, 2013 9:53 am

Re: Should Parking Be Subsidised?

Post by Kateg28 » Thu 22 May, 2014 8:45 am

james wrote:Yes. But there's no evidence that subsidising parking boosts the economy.
No direct evidence but I choose to go places where it is easy to park. In fact I would rather pay and have an empty car park than go to a full car park. Which kind of defeats my own argument here.

OK, I admit it, I will activiely choose to go places and spend my money where it is easy to park. I would rather pay a pound and have an easy parking space rather than stressing to find a free space. However this argument goes out the window as parking prices rise.

At the moment I choose to go to out of town places on a Sunday as parking easier and less crowds. For the evening, we tend to go to country pubs as a couple/family but for friends we go in town.

newcomer
Posts:118
Joined:Mon 02 Dec, 2013 11:00 am

Re: Should Parking Be Subsidised?

Post by newcomer » Thu 22 May, 2014 9:54 am

Joby wrote: Same reason I don't support re-nationalising railways, as I don't think it's fair for non-train travellers to subsidise rail travel.
OK, I'll bite (sorry Admin).

We are now subsidising the railways much more now than we did before it was privatised.
The EastCoast Line, currently publically owned is now returning a lot more money to the government than its private predecessor did.

What is your plan for running a service that can't have any effective competition? (and arguably, the real problem, can never be profitable but is considered a public good economically).

Joby
Posts:91
Joined:Tue 03 Dec, 2013 12:09 pm

Re: Should Parking Be Subsidised?

Post by Joby » Thu 22 May, 2014 10:42 am

newcomer wrote:
Joby wrote: Same reason I don't support re-nationalising railways, as I don't think it's fair for non-train travellers to subsidise rail travel.
What is your plan for running a service that can't have any effective competition? (and arguably, the real problem, can never be profitable but is considered a public good economically).
I don't have one. But...perhaps run as (government or privately-owned) NPOs where profit is fed back into improving the service rather than to shareholders. And in a feeble attempt to keep this on-topic, maybe car parks should be based on a similar model.

User avatar
Drama Queen
Posts:68
Joined:Mon 02 Dec, 2013 4:48 pm

Re: Should Parking Be Subsidised?

Post by Drama Queen » Thu 22 May, 2014 12:06 pm

James, I went to Cambridge on Sunday just gone and they have an excellent Park and Ride bus scheme which I always use.. hence full shops etc, etc... But I pay a flat rate for however long I want all day if necessary. I just want parking to be fair to the drivers so we pay for what we use and fair to the shopkeepers to encourage me to stay and spend my money having a meal after shopping or a coffee etc, etc. I don't think its competitive or fair for either the shops or drivers as it stands.

Post Reply