LETTER OF THE WEEK
Page 16
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CVs hit by higher parking fines during Olympics
FOLLOWING THE latest consultation by London Councils on increasing the area of £200 ines for the Olympic periods, they have shown once again what a mockery and complete waste of time it is in giving one’s views in these surveys.
I say this because, despite a majority of 48 out of 70 respondents (69%) not in favour of any increase in parking penalties during the Games, they have still come up with the following: all parking and moving trafic contraventions will incur a penalty of £200 in the following areas – the Olympic Park and river zones (the park itself, ExCel, North Greenwich Arena, Greenwich Park and Royal Artillery Barracks), plus controlled parking zones in Morden and Wimbledon (Merton), Sidcup and Welling (Bexley) and Waltham Forest.
When asked to elaborate on the area covered in the Olympic Park and river zones they state that it is the area designated in the Local Area Trafic Management and Parking Plans, which as far as I know has not yet been inalised by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, and which is waited for urgently by all commercial operators who wish to inalise their distribution plans for the Olympic periods. It is interesting, therefore, to see that they can set such ines in an area whose boundaries are still unknown.
The reason for this increase is even more ridiculous as they say: “Demand for parking in London, especially around the venues, will be extremely high this summer, and we want to protect residents and businesses in streets that are not used for major events – we are concerned that people may see existing penalties – which could be as little as £16.25 each in a car of four people, as a price worth paying rather than a deterrent.” But all they then do is increase this by £8.75. If they feel that this small increase will stop people driving in they must be barking mad. If they really wanted to plug this hole they should have made the penalty at least £400 (£50 per person in a car of four) and left penalty charge notices for the commercial operators at £130. This would be a big enough deterrent to stop people driving in and left the CV to continue its dificult operation during this period without higher ines to cope with.
But once again the CV is the loser in the world of parking charges in London.
MJ Bracey Chairman, Brewery Logistics Group