Parking charges leaving motorists squeezed

The RAC has declared 2014 as the year of the Great British parking squeeze amid rocketing car park charges and dwindling free spaces.

Its Report on Motoring 2014 blames the squeeze on a shortage of parking spaces and rising costs as cash-hungry councils increase car park charges and fines.

The report shows that 80% of the 1,526 motorists questioned had experienced increasing parking charges in towns and cities.

Around two thirds (67%) said there were now fewer parking spaces near their town or city centre and that parking restrictions had become more stringent where they live.

A quarter of respondents said traffic wardens had become more active in their area.

The study also found that 22% of respondents had seen parking spaces that used to be free become charged for in the last 12 months. This rises to 24% in residential areas.

Over half of the respondents said they had cut down the amount of driving they do as a direct result of increased parking charges.

And 41% said they believe that their local authority uses the revenue from parking charges to pay for other areas of non-motoring expenditure.

RAC technical director David Bizley said: “It’s time for a reality check when it comes to parking in Britain. We have to find a happy medium between the desire of motorists to get to where they want to go, which our research shows is driven in part by inadequate public transport provision in many parts of the country, and the need to keep our towns and cities moving.”

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