Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
22 November 2010
08:1381073#1
As if we are not paying enough already!! BBC News has found out following an investigation, that Councils throughout the country are seeking to rise parking fines so that they (all Councils) will be inline with the amount charged in fines by London. HMGovernment has been seriously lobbied to this effect and it appears this lobbying is getting a favourable response....so prepare to dig ever deeper!
Outside the capital Local Authorities can only charge a maximum of £70...whereas in London they can charge up to £120.
But it is outrageous to seek this rise at this time. Not only is it against the beleaguered motorist who already pays through the neck in massive taxes, but now they want to hike yet more out of his struggling wallet. This comes at a time when the citizen, thats you and me, is already strapped for cash...with wage cuts, tax rises, pay freezez, vat rises, job losses and so on.
On top of that some numpty in Local Authority ought to check out the huge wage difference that exists between London and everywhere else.
Sadly there is no information as of yet as to which Councils have applied for this punishing rise.
Is Dover one of these councils??
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
22 November 2010
08:2881075#2
Councils do have a problem.
Their government funding is down for good reasons and Councils rates are capped, also for good reasons, though I would hope that localist reforms will eliminate the need for that soon.
They can raise fees or cut spending.
I am sure there is room for cuts - for instance anyone employed with the word 'diversity' or 'equalities' in their job title should be automatically cut, so they can find something else useful to do with their lives in the private sector.
But that is not going to be enough.
Services are going to have to be examined, first of all to see how they might be delivered more efficiently or, indeed, whether they should be delivered at all.
They will also need to see if some services should go onto the uncapped Parish and Town Council budgets instead of being paid for at District level, but that needs the sensible cooperation of the lower authority willing to put aside political differences in the interest of the public.
What else is there?
Fees and charges but there is a limited to what you can do here with the law of diminishing returns.
Putting up penalites though sounds a logical and sensible approach. If you dont want to pay the higher fine then do not overstay your time or park where you should not do so - easy.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
22 November 2010
09:0481082#3
While I agree with you Paul about the wages being different so the inline with London rise would not be fair, people who deliberately break parking laws deserve all the fines they get.
Sorry, they get no sympathy from me.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
22 November 2010
09:3681088#4
I've always been against putting up the charges for car-parking in Dover because of their adverse affect on local businesses, especially because, at this moment in time, we do not have the quality of shops like Canterbury or Westwood Cross (where car-parking is currently free).
I do think though that a scheme could be set up, where the effect of car-parking charges could be alleviated and it will need the co-operation and support of DDC - and the businesses of course.
Roger
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
22 November 2010
09:3881089#5
The problem is that there are not that many people who deliberately flout the rules Jan.
It is often more a case of ordinary Joes and Joannas getting caught out if there meter over-runs or whathaveyou. In that case fines of £120 are draconian.
The Authorities issue tickets like nobodys business down here on the seafront and often to ordinary people passing, who dont know the local parking situation. I often feel sorry for poor bewildered familes having a whopping fine strapped to their windscreen. If that amount ups to £120 it strikes me as morally wrong to do it.
It will also drive people out of town centres to the likes of Tesco where they dont have to bother and fiddle around clock watching with a meter. Parking is free there.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
22 November 2010
09:5081091#6
PaulB - it is just a matter of being organised and thinking about how much time you need. I have never had a parking fine because I plan not to. There are no excuses.
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
22 November 2010
10:0581093#7
I must admit I was not thinking of meter over-runs, although most people have a watch, I was thinking of those who park on yellow lines etc.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
22 November 2010
15:5981158#8
Indeed there are those nasty so and so's who park on double yellows but generally I would reckon its just the usual ordinary folk that get the clobbering.
We are an almighty poor shadow of London. The pavements there are filled with gold, even in these hard times. But times will always be much harder for a place like Dover than a place like London. London still has jobs and money aplenty. Look at the developments that have taken place there while we still headscratch about the DTIZ thing. Not a sod has turned on that one.
Dover has no employer of any scale and no money.
The reason we never have had, as has been continuosly mooted over the years, bowling alleys and fine cinemas and all these other longed for commodities. is because our business gurus in London with investment money at their finger tips, know we are all as poor as village vicars, and worse.
Therefore a £120 parking fine here is way out of proportion to our general income.
Im still wondering if Dover is one of the Councils that have applied to have this new tariff installed in the system.
Unregistered User
22 November 2010
16:0881162#9
Not that I know of.
I would just make the point car parking charges have been frozen for 3 years and we compensated for the recent VAT reduction.
You only pay for car parking in our car parks from 9-5 and not at all on Sundays.
You have the cheapest like for like car parking in East Kent and Iwould hazard a guess most of Kent.
Watty
22 November 2010
17:0781172#10
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
22 November 2010
17:0881173#11
goog point in post 2 about "diversity" and "equality" jobs.
paulw makes the point about free parking on sundays(and public holidays), surely it would be wiser for motorists to shop on sundays if they can?
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
22 November 2010
18:2681186#12
It would Howard, but they need to know that businesses are open on a Sunday - I'd have thought that perhaps most of them will be during December.
Roger
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
22 November 2010
18:3881191#13
a bit of a chicken and egg situation roger, all the big names other than marks and spencers are open, even a couple of charity shops are.
most of the cafes are closed which suprises me in the summer with all the visitors, even the museum is open on sundays from april to october.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
23 November 2010
08:1481256#14
Perhaps if some cafe's (and shops) were open on Sundays, that fact could be publicised - on here and in the local papers.
Perhaps also, someone could talk to the businesses and tell them it will be advertised that they'll be open - if they decide to.
I can send emails round about Sunday shopping and put which ones are open on here, but I can't put an article in the local paper(s).
People need to know.
Roger
