Most councillors have never run a business so fail to understand a local economy's lifeblood is the local retailer.
Harassing local shoppers drives down turnover, with a consequential ripple effect. It all adds to the anxieties of running a business in troubled times, as well as seriously affecting local employment.
Conservative councils are supposed to be pro business: but RBK&C is definitely anti-small business. It has a parking policy aimed at harassing shoppers, so sensibly, they avoid the Rotten Borough.
RBK&C uses parking policy-not to ensure smooth traffic flow-but to make a massive income surplus.
Last year it came just behind Westminster with a staggering £21 MILLION
Small wonder our idiotic council can afford to splurge £27 million on Chinese granite in Exhibitionist Rd.
Simply put, motorists are supporting the Chinese economy, whilst local business gets squeezed out of existence. And then the idiot Cockell comes up with that flop of a sop, the Wedge!
Does anyone use the £1 million Wedge? Doubtful!
Does anyone use the £1 million Wedge? Doubtful!
Parking enforcement is supposed to ensure smooth traffic flow and prevent gridlock, but all we ever see are wardens patrolling backwater streets issuing tickets to non obstructing overstays.
We rarely see wardens in congestion hotspots, ensuring badly parked cars are ticketed or moved. Why? Because it's difficult to make money out this activity.
RBK&C is prohibited from using parking revenue to bolster income, but it gets round this by earmarking the cash for ludicrous and unwanted schemes-such as Exhibitionist Rd.
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| PARKING=EASY MONEY |
Authorities in England and Wales saw their surplus from parking rise to £511.6 million in 2010-11 from £489.4 million a year earlier, according to an analysis of local authority accounts by the RAC Foundation.
Local authorities were warned by Mike Penning, the road safety minister, to stop treating motorists as an easy target to raise funds. But, like many of the diktats issued by central government, it is ignored by Pooter and pals.
And how about the idiotic policy of parking enforcement on bank holidays on drive away shoppers.
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