UK NEWS

THE SOARING COST OF PARKING

THE PRICE WE PAY: A parking attendant checks a meter in Soho, Westminster

Wednesday April 23,2008

By Polly Buchanan

FINDING a parking place is costing motorists over a billion pounds a year, astonishing figures revealed yesterday.

The soaring revenue generated by local authorities through street meters, pay & display car parks and fines was branded “disgusting”.

The AA revealed the £1.2billion cost of parking across Britain during a survey of 10 of the biggest towns and cities.

It found that Westminster, with a total annual bill of £33.3million, is the most expensive place to park in the country. A minimum two-hour stay in a car park costs between £4 and £9.50 while drivers will have to pay £2 to £8 for the same time on a meter.

Bristol and Wolverhampton, which racked up £700,000 in a year each in charges, are the cheapest.

Hugh Bladen, founder member of The Association of British Drivers, said parking costs were hitting the country’s economy and drivers were being cheated.

He said: “Motorists are being treated like they’ve committed murder every time they get in their car. It’s disgusting.

“The more money taken out of the pocket for something as inconsequential as parking, the less is being spent on things which will generate the economy.

“These charges are making it more difficult for people to park their cars and so they are less likely to go into towns and cities. This again will affect the regeneration of town and city centres, forcing people to go elsewhere.”

The survey also found drivers in Leeds – paying £14.2million and Newcastle £7.3million – are among those hit hardest. Motorists shell out £6million each year to park in Edinburgh while Cardiff has been hit with £3 for a five-hour stay at a meter since last October.

Birmingham scrapped on-street meters years ago. Now annual revenue from pay & display parks is £3.3million.

Mr Bladen added: “It is absolute madness. I would encourage people to create more parking space. It would be nice to think the revenue is being spent on what’s needed. But you only have to look at the state of the roads to see they are the last thing the money is being spent on.

“This country is a disgrace. Places like Spain and Portugal have left us behind by up to 10 years. They have improved their infrastructure brilliantly while all we do is keep patching things over.”

AA spokesman Adrian Watters said: “Motorists understand parking must be regulated by price but they object to heavy-handed tactics by certain authorities.”

Parking penalties now range from £40 to as high as £120 – rising to £180 for late-payers – depending on where you are in Britain.