LIB wants more
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coach parking
• London urgently needs a permanent off-street coach park and a new coach station, claims London Tourist Board chairman, Sir Christopher Leaver. Speaking to around • 200 coach and tour operators at a coaching workshop in London last week, he said: "Only one-third of coach traffic in London relates to tourism but if more tourist coaches could come off the road when they are not in use, we in the tourist industry will be doing our part towards easing traffic congestion in London."
London has lost more than 200 off-street coach parking spaces due to redevelopment, while others are on temporary sites and only the Tower of London has a permanent site with 16 places. The coach meters provided by Westminster City Council are welcome but they cannot be used in the evening because of the overnight on-street parking ban on commercial vehicles, says Sir Christopher.
"We are urging Westminster to continue this scheme and to look at lifting the time restrictions. We are also encouraging the City of London and Kensington and Chelsea to introduce the same scheme, so that the coachcard (a prepaid parking ticket) can be used throughout central London," insists Sir Christopher. He asserts that coach operators and drivers must use these meters, and the coachcards, or else they will be withdrawn.
"The major issue of a new coach station for London is still to be tackled. Part of the site at Victoria Coach Station will not be available after 1990 and the staging post for coaches at Battersea Wharf is scheduled for redevelopment," says Sir Christopher.