Nowhere to park in five years, finds research
Motorists are ignored and treated as cash-cows, says RAC Foundation
Owning a car in the UK could soon become a nightmare, as the country will run out of parking spaces within the next five years unless radical steps are taken to solve the growing shortage, according to a report from the RAC Foundation.
The report, entiitled The Way Ahead, concludes that "policies on parking are often ill thought-out and inconsistent; that the execution of parking policies for example, on-street regulation of parking has drifted away from the purposes for which it was intended and provokes needless irritation: that policies on off-street parking are confused: and that the needs and interests of the consumer, who pays for it all, in one way or another, are neglected."
Territorial battles over parking slots are now a feature of residential life, with the number of cars exceeding official spaces in some areas, and nearly a third of motorists already abandoning their journeys because they cannot find anywhere to park, reveals the survey.
Its solution is parking schemes integrated with other transport developments, a fair price for the service, public policies to take account of future parking requirements, and cleareer government guidance on parking issues.
"Restricting parking does not curb car ownership. We believe that within five years the situation will reach a crisis point with a doubling in the number of motorists abandoning their journeys unless action is taken," Edmund King, the executive director of the RAC Foundation was quoted by the Independent as saying.
The report is here: www.racfoundation.org/our_research/way_ahead_dec04.pdf
Still it all fits in with New Labours' belief that it is ok to persecute so-called 'anti-social' groups in society. Now initially, this meant 'Smokers', but is increasingly being widened to other groups such as drinkers, fox hunters and drivers. And all in the name of a better life for those poor impoverished 'other' people whose lives are so blighted by anything, that YOU ir I might enjoy doing.
I did an article last year on the fact that, due to their dominance over what happens on the roads, the government are like Microsoft - a monopoly that knows it can screw you over for more cash because you've got no alternative, and it simply sees motorists as a source of revenue, like assets in a business plan.
That's why every penny spent on the roads is deliberately engineered to make it either miserable, difficult or impossible to drive, yet they know you need the car so you keep coming back for more - it's positively sadistic.
And does anyone else question the need for so many one-way systems, restricted zones, pedestrianised areas and bus/taxi-only roads? Surely if congestion is a problem we should be allowing traffic to flow as freely as possible through as many routes as possible, rather than literally creating congestion with bus lanes and artificial bottlenecks, and blaming the motorist again for congestion he or she can't do anything about.
My misses parked legally at the side of a road correctly steering the front wheels towards the kerb as she was on a hill. Gets back to the car and there is a ticket on the screen because a tyre is touching the kerb !!!!
Appealed and lost, paid via cheque but hawked up a dockers omelette
into the envelope before sealing it. 
The claimed theory is that this will increase the use of public transport. Are there any realistic statistics to show that this policy ever works???
These rulings get embedded into the planning policy of the Government and of the local borough councils. I see that my local council, Guildford, give the aforementioned excuse and state that new developments may provide between 0% and 25% of the 'standard' for allotted parking spaces. That's right - between nought and a quarter of some nationally-determined figure!
Crap.
Yeesh
i am lucky in that my company suplies me a truck to work from home so i dont have to find a work parking space(i did have to lose some lawn to make space outside my house).
so if company x has 300 people working in its building it should supply 300 parking spaces of finace a company work bus to pick up and drop off its worforce(probably cheaper longterm than the parking space)
They also will not allow the residents to apply for on street parking permits...
There is even a 5 bedroom, £500 000 townhouse of nearly 2000sq ft...and it comes with *one* parking space (no garage)...dunno how the developers are gonna sell that one...one car between hubbie, wife and the 2.4 kids ? mmmm
v8thunder said:
Anyone noticed that the average parking space is shrinking too? The doors on the Punto are quite large so I have trouble slipping out of them without rubbing against another car at times, and the length seems designed for little hatches rather than anything with a boot.
You should try the RS6! (and why is it that although I always park at the far end of any supermarket car park with dozens of spaces each side, when I return - some git has parked right next to me (driver side) so I have to climb through the passenger door?)
tut
Steve
GetCarter said:
when I return - some git has parked right next to me (driver side) so I have to climb through the passenger door?)
Do what I do and park across two spaces. Might annoy a few people but it is saving me a fortune in paint touchups caused by Ray Charles throwing his door into the side of my P&J when ever he parks next to me!!
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