Trust takes issue with Mobile Phone Parking
Posted by Nobody on 6 March 2015
In its lettter to the Devizes Area Board the Trust said "we note that the only comparison given for payment levels by phone is with Westminster and Islington, two inner London Boroughs that can be in no way compared to Wiltshire with its collection of Market Towns. The fact that 80% of those parking on-street in these boroughs pay by mobile phone can be attributed to two factors (a) the price which is as high as £6 per hour, making it highly likely that the motorist will not have sufficient change, and (b) that the many of those who park on-street are business people doing business in the area.
The same cannot be said for Devizes where the majority of those parking are local people on a shopping trip or attending some activity or other. The demographics of Devizes are also very different to Central London.It is clear that the population there is dominated by what may well be called “the mobile phone generation”, whereas that is far from the case in Devizes. To emphasize this fact further, the percentage of Central London’s population in the 20 to 44 age group is 50% of the total, whilst in Devizes it is 28%.
The fact is that there are many older citizens who either do not have a mobile phone, or who have one for use in an emergency. They are unlikely to sign up to MPermit and will be denied the right to park in Sheep Street Car Park. Sheep Street Baptist Church, which is close to the Car Park, has a number of activities for older people during the week. Those attending will be inconvenienced by having to find parking further away. Many elderly people visit the library, and again, they will be inconvenienced.
This is discrimination, largely based on age, and the Council should not penalize its elderly citizens in this way."
The Trust closed its letter by claiming that the Council was putting itself in a "lose-lose situation" with people having to find other places to park and the car park revenue slumping.
Hopefully commonsense will prevail - time will tell!