ePetition - Punitive Parking Charges & Restrictions

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ePetition details

Punitive Parking Charges & Restrictions

We the undersigned petition Brighton & Hove Council to Free parking on Sundays for residents and visitors. Free parking on Xmas day. 30 -60 minutes free parking to visit local shops. Cost to run the residents permit scheme to be non profit making. Scrapping of the CO2 emission bands. End parking restriction at 6pm. No increases in charges for a minimum of 5+ years to bring the costs down to more reasonable levels taking into account inflation. All parking machines to accept cash as well as the other payment methods. No more zones to have parking restrictions unless a large majority of residents vote and agree.

Residents and the general population of the UK purchase all types of vehicles to enable convenient safe & reliable transport.

vehicle purchase taxes are paid as well as road tax (VED) high fuel duty VAT, motor insurance, MOT costs, general repair costs and car value depreciation.

On top of all these charges you see fit to charge residents who have the temerity to wish to park outside their own property a parking permit tax which is also based on emissions to enable CO2 bands and charge even higher amounts, then you say its all for the environment.

If you are truly concerned with CO2 emissions you would be banning high emission vehicles, however as is usual with many councils and governing bodies as long as you are paid we can drive any vehicle we choose with the highest CO2 emissions, this proves it is all a ruse to tax drivers.

You say parking charges need to be set at a level which will ration on street and off street parking, shall we do you a favour and sell all our vehicles? public transport would never cope, we buy vehicles to drive not sit unused and we need adequate cheap parking.

Not only are the charges excessive but they are enforced 7 days a week every week, even on Xmas day.

You could charge only what it costs to run the parking permit scheme for residents however you choose not to do so. How much would permits cost residents were the scheme to be non profit making?

The council chief executive Mr Geoff Raw tells me the council is non profit making as it spends the revenue on transport including some given to private bus companies and to run the bus pass scheme, this is robbing Peter to pay Paul economics.

In the report the parking surplus after costs for 2017-18 was £15.2 million a £1.5 million increase on the previous year due to rationing more parking space with yet more permits, I call that a profit!

Some of this money is given to bus services which are private companies, so you take off motorists and give to buses.

I disagree with the installation of new parking machines which only take card or phone payments, cash should also be an option on all machines as this will enable everyone to have equal choice and not be discriminated against for using the legal currency of the UK in coin.

Councils now have a default position where it is thought appropriate to charge drivers ever increasing parking costs, make it harder to find a space and increase zones where permits are required at a cost to residents, this is unacceptable.

I would like all residents of Brighton & Hove to leave their vehicles at home for a week, then see how the transport system stands up to the car being eradicated, chaos would probably ensue.

This would hopefully show the huge contribution vehicles make and reduce the constant anti car hysteria which is present today, it could also be a wake up call to the powers that be.

I believe it is taken for granted that we will accept ever increasing parking charges, however there is a limit and fairness must now apply.

Looking at the 20017/18 parking annual report I find it to be very complicated with all the different zones, time limits, rules, and it is oppressive.

In my opinion no increases in charges should be made this year or for a further 5+ years in Brighton & Hove to bring the costs down to more reasonable levels taking into account inflation.

Sorry the text is so long.

This ePetition ran from 08/02/2019 to 24/06/2019 and has now finished.

14 people signed this ePetition.

Council response

"Parking restrictions are in place to encourage a quick turnaround of vehicles and to encourage the use of sustainable methods of travel; such as walking, cycling and public transport that are all agreed council objectives.

The council is committed to reducing carbon emissions that impact climate change and cutting pollution to become a clean air city.

Allowing 60 minutes free parking including on busy Sundays would make it much harder for drivers to find a space.

The council is required to review fees and charges including parking charges annually against its transport policies and objectives, such as reducing congestion in the city. Those charges have been agreed by both this committee and the wider Council at the annual Budget Council meeting.

In 2017 the council invested £1.8 million in new pay and display machines. The move away from cash machines has reduced theft and damage to machines, making them more reliable.
There are also still over 300 locations in the city where drivers can pay for parking in cash.

Consultation upon and implementation of parking schemes can only proceed if the majority of residents vote in favour of them".

 


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