Parking in Brighton and Hove has such a terrible reputation that two councillors have started a petition to bring the contract back in-house.
Liberal Democrat councillors Paul Elgood and David Watkins say that residents, businesses and visitors would be better served if on-street parking enforcement was run by directly by Brighton and Hove City Council.
They want the contract taken off NSL Services – formerly NCP – when it expires in two years’ time.
And they have put their petition online – as an e-petition – via the council’s website. You can see it and sign it here.
Cllr Elgood said on his blog that the move followed concerns expressed by residents and businesses over the operation of the contract and record revenue raised from it.
He said that the council’s failing waste contract was brought back under the council’s control and was now seen as a resounding success.
And, he added, council-owned car parks have already successfully returned to council control.
“Record income from parking fines at a time of recession has left a lot of people baffled as to how such enforcement levels can be fair,” he said.
The petition says, among other things, that businesses especially find the current system difficult.
It adds: “They need more flexibility and some simple common sense applied to encourage more customers, especially in the city centre.”
The petition is available to sign until Wednesday 27 January 2010.
Our, and I use that word as a tax payer, council budgets for the revenue collected by parking fines.
This budget must also increase with inflation, hence the parking charges increase. The fact that residents, tax payers have to pay for their parking permit also leaves food for thought…how was this ever allowed to happen?