Parking 'rip-off' at Piccadilly Station

Don Frame

May 18, 2009

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DRIVERS are being `ripped off' at Manchester's Piccadilly Station, where car parking fees are the highest in the country, it is claimed.

Motorists face charges of up to £55 for a four-hour stay, according to rail union TSSA which claims rail users are paying more than £1bn a year in fees at station car parks.

TSSA - which represents 30,000 workers - carried out a survey of more than 1,000 stations in England and Scotland, which showed Piccadilly and Birmingham New Street as having the most expensive car parking.

Gerry Doherty, general secretary of the TSSA, said: "Passengers, like visitors to hospitals, are being ripped off simply because they are a captive audience."

But Network Rail said the car park was aimed at short stay users.

A spokesman said: "Anyone who is in and out within 20 minutes is not charged. After that the fee is £2 for 40 minutes and £4 for an hour. After that the fees rise considerably."

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Jo14, Somewhere on planet Earth - I think (19/05/2009 at 08:47)

Parking at a rail station....who would expect it's users to be in and out in 20 minutes? Surely it's meant for people who may be using the train to go somewhere, ie, London?

This is obviously, therefore, aimed at the shopper - and the cost should be brought in line with the rest of Manchester's car parks.

Modern day Dick Turpins obviously!!!

Steve (19/05/2009 at 09:11)

Due to the poor service provided by the railways, bad time keeping, filthy carriages and the extortionate cost of parking at railway stations I've not used rail travel for over ten years now.
So the answer is easy, don't travel from Piccadilly Station or use your car instead, Network Rail would soon get the idea. There is no justification for over charging motorists for parking, particularly when they are there to use the pay for the services adjacent to the car park. Its just another rip off by the railways.

Guten Tag, Manchester (19/05/2009 at 10:24)

You'd probably spend an hour or so sticking 55 £1 coins into a ticket machine. Cheaper across the road.

Rammylad (19/05/2009 at 11:13)

All of manchesters parking is too high. But when the council support high car parking prices, nothing will change, well, not until they are evicted during the next election.

mark-r, Stockport (19/05/2009 at 11:56)

The car park in question is the "Short Stay Car Park", the key word here being "Short"! Another complete non-story by the MEN.

Gary SK13 (19/05/2009 at 13:10)

Why do you need to park at a city centre train station other than to pick someone up?, you are hardly going to be there 4 hours doing that are you.

david bakey (19/05/2009 at 22:06)

claim it back as expences from your employer or the social

Wes Brown (19/05/2009 at 22:32)

At £55 you might as well save loadsamoney and get a taxi!

Jay B, oldham (20/05/2009 at 14:54)

parking at piccadilly is quite affordable! when compared to parking anywhere in oldham on the council owned carparks!

Eugene T (08/06/2009 at 22:11)

There are plenty of cheaper alternatives... http://en.parkopedia.com/parking/carpark/manchester_piccadilly_station_short_stay/m1/manchester/

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