City centre parking debate

January 17, 2007

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DRIVERS face having to pay to park on Manchester city centre streets in the evenings and on Sundays.

A proposal to charge for using marked bays from 8am to midnight, seven days a week - hitting the pockets of shoppers and theatregoers has been put out to consultation.

Street bays - and single yellow lines - are currently free after 6pm from Monday to Saturday, and all day on Sunday.

What do you think of the idea? Follow the story via the links below and get your voice heard in our online poll and debate.

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Mr T Smith, Manchester (17/01/2007 at 11:44)

I think it's a disgrace! The council are trying to screw people out of money all the time. It needs to be stopped! Not only are NCP charging rip off rates but now this on the bays. They charge stupid rates per hours on them bays and it shouldn't be allowed to happen! And as for them traffic wardens they're hang around waiting for people to slip up. only the other day i stopped to give an out of town man directions and there one was trying to slap me with a fine....whats that about!

Mr L Frenton, Manchester (17/01/2007 at 11:57)

I rarely drive into Manchester city centre as I get the tram. I'm happy to see more paid parking, as long as the Council use the money raised to improve public transport links. Fewer cars in the centre would mean a more pleasant environment for all who come to enjoy an evening out.

Ace Riley, manchester (17/01/2007 at 12:00)

Could somebody from the council please answer my question? Why is it that when i come into manchester city centre i see loads of parking meter people and yet where i live in openshaw i see the pavements being used as car parks (every day) i see bus lanes used as a short cut ? dangerous? i see cyclists jumping the traffic lights,people using a one way street as a short cut the wrong way but see very few police or parking meter people. and yet i see people getting lots of tickets in the centre of manchester.Is it war on shoppers in manchester??

elsie bertels, fallowfield (17/01/2007 at 12:09)

i have been coming into manchester for many years on teh busses and i don't see no reason why people has to drive in, there cars are just a nuisance and it is just rich people coming in anyway. if they want to drive they should have to pay as i have to pay on the busses and so should they

Eddie Goff, Eccles (17/01/2007 at 12:26)

Yet again the driver is targeted by the Council. I drive into town a lot for meals and nights out with my wife and we spend a fair bit of money, this will just stop us and people like us from coming and spending in the city centre, which will have a negative effect on the local economy and businesses. I think places like restaurants and theatres should be up in arms about this! Tell the council to leave free parking alone!

A bike and bus user, Manchester (17/01/2007 at 12:37)

Answer me this one: why is it that people buy houses in places with "good transport links" and so on, and then insist on having two cars in the drive? What's wrong with getting on the bus once in a while? Or maybe they should get 'on their bike'. These sort of people are the sort who will be crying about no more free parking, and I for one have no sympathy. Maybe once we get rid of cars from the city centre we can have the sort of 24 hour cappucino cafe pavement culture these nouveau riche upstarts have been banging on about since the manchester bombings. I for one don't want to sit at a pavement cafe choking on heir petrol fumes though.

mrs S hood, liverpool road (17/01/2007 at 12:42)

You may as well send everyone
to the Trafford centre and close down all the city centre businesses, this won't help any one except the NCP. I thought the council was trying to get life back into Manchester, not rook the public.

yours disgustedly,
S D Hood

Jariah A, Salford (17/01/2007 at 12:53)

People are too reliant on their cars. Most places have at least a bus service if not a tram or train so why not use them! If you're coming into town leave the car at home and have a proper night out.

Ian Davies, Manchester (17/01/2007 at 13:44)

I've tried many times to get a bus into town on a sunday and on my local route there is a bus that runs on the hour roughly and it takes me 30 mins to get there. I usually drive because it's free and quicker! They should not be allowed to put prices on for sundays......it's most annoying

B Swallocks, Hyde (17/01/2007 at 13:51)

it's an OUTRAGE MAN!!!!

Phil, Altrincham (17/01/2007 at 14:07)

Will the Council pay any attention to what people think anyway? They're just interested in money, money, money. I'd like to know if they're going to slap a parking meter on the Lord Mayor's parking spot on Princess Street. Maybe that would convince him to keep parking free. I doubt it though.

Jarvis Asquig, Sale (17/01/2007 at 14:18)

It seems unfair to start charging people who come into manchester on a sunday. why don't the council concentrate on spending their time on better issues like the replacement of glass in bus shelters i see the same old story every week they get smashed and replaced and smashed and replaced. Surely it would make sense to put plastic covers in and save time and money.

Jocelyn Austin, Hale (17/01/2007 at 14:28)

I regularly come to manchester to go to the casino and when I win money, which I do a lot, I don't want to have to spend it on parking my car. I've got three cars and I pay tax on them all and I don't take kindly to being called nouveau riche by some tree hugger on a bike. Next time he's out in town i'll happily buy him a cappuccino but I expect him to drink it while cycling up and down the street.

James Gurner, Ancoats (17/01/2007 at 14:44)

Another great idea from the Council. Why is parking at those times free anyway? Seems that if they charge at all then they should charge at all times and days. With Sunday trading, etc why not charge people to park on Sundays?

J Darley, Langworthy (17/01/2007 at 15:10)

I drive a bus for a living, often in the evening and on Sundays (it's my day off today) and I think it's a great idea if it means more people on the buses and less cars in the streets. Trying to keep to timetables when there are long traffic jams of cars is a nightmare. And it's especially annoying when each car only has one person in it. I say double the parking prices.

Peter Copping, City Centre (17/01/2007 at 15:17)

Just to say that everyone should send copies of thier comments for or against to Engineering services at M1 7DL as they only take notices of those they recieve.

Jarla Jardino, Gorton (17/01/2007 at 15:52)

I get public transport everyday as work in the city centre. It's far too expensive to park your car on a daily basis The only time i look forward to driving into manchester is Sunday! please don't take that Privilege from us motorist

Ghoti Suppa, Levenshulme (17/01/2007 at 16:04)

I work in a restaurant in the city centre and am worried that this parking charge will drive customers away and I might lose my job. I am sure that it will put many people off from coming into the centre in an evening and this has to be bad for business. Please will the Council think about the many people who rely on customers for their jobs. Thank you.

Mike, Fallowfield (17/01/2007 at 17:30)

The 3 City Centre Lib Dem Councillors have launched an online petition against these proposed parking charges on their website:

http://manchester-libdems.org.uk/

Click the petition button on the left of their homepage.

Phil, Bury (17/01/2007 at 21:40)

Long live the Trafford Centre and its free parking.... One day, the Council Members will wake up to find Manchester a Shopping Ghost Town... Yes, they'll still be those who journey in by public transport, but the shops cannot survive on their trade alone... A clever council would recognise that more free parking equals more shoppers equals more vibrant shops equals more rates revenue....

mr christopher evans, droylsden (17/01/2007 at 22:45)

The average person will not pay permanent fees as proposed.
Should the council go ahead with such a plan many small businesses will either cease to trade or will have to translocate.
I personally would never shop in Manchester again.

a bus driver, Manchester (18/01/2007 at 10:07)

I'm a bus driver as well and I don't want any more people coming on the buses thank you very much, my job is hard enough without having more people coming on without the correct change and asking stupid questions like "does this bus go to town?" - er, yes, it's got Manchester Picaddilly written on the front, work it out. To be fair most bus users are nice people, but you do get some idiots.

Bus Driver, Sale (18/01/2007 at 10:33)

I'd like to see more parking for free especially sundays! I think bus driver should have sundays off and let people get to manchester in a car but not have to pay...Is't sundays the lords rest day? lets keep it free for the public of Manchester

Mr J Nitsa, Mcr centre (18/01/2007 at 10:38)

I agree with everything Mr Dully says. Well put.

Mr J Dully, Salford (18/01/2007 at 10:56)

I haven't said anything yet! Thanks though.

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