At a full council meeting on April 24, Liberal Democrat group leader and county council candidate David Neve secured the promise of a long overdue meeting to discuss the difficulties and expense of parking in Tunbridge Wells, which at present puts many people off visiting and shopping in the town centre.
“For once all the Tories, Labour, UKIP and Independent councillors (except the mayor who abstained) agreed with me and my amendment on parking, which was to hold a special meeting of planning and transportation,” said long-serving St James councillor and KCC candidate for Tunbridge Wells East David Neve.
This success follows a 2,000 strong petition and a campaign led by Courier contributor Sarah Bond on the many problems and pitfalls of the current payment system.
As Sarah rightly says in the Tunbridge Wells edition of the Courier, the ‘Pay and Display’ ticket machines fill motorists with stress, demand correct coins and don’t even give us change. And ‘Pay By Phone’ has big flaws, too.
In these tough times we should not have slap-happy wardens ticketing shoppers and tourists. Women have to run with wet hair from the hairdresser’s, mums have to pull children out of important eye checks, businessmen have to rush out of important meetings, musicians have to run off stage mid-set, and retailers watch in horror as customers rush off mid-sale. It’s utter madness, as many local retailers have told the Lib Dems, the Courier newspaper, and BBC Radio Kent.
As Alan Bullion, Lib Dem County Council Candidate for Tunbridge Wells West says: “The current system is sheer lunacy and deters many shoppers and tourists from coming into the town at all, so local retailers, restaurants and other businesses are all losing valuable revenue every day this way.”
“It is high time to scrap the current ‘Pay and Dismay’ system and consider the merits of much fairer alternatives like ‘Pay on Exit’, as well as making the first 30 minutes free, with free parking on Sundays and bank holidays, to attract more tourists and shoppers to visit the town centre,” Alan added.