Parking fees add to drivers’ misery
MORE misery could be around the corner for motorists in Maidstone, with news that parking fees are to escalate. The town’s draft integrated transport strategy proposes pushing up the cost of short-stay parking by 20% and long-stay parking by a bumper 50% over the course of the next 14 years. That means the cost of park-
ing for three to four hours would rise from £2.70 to £3.25, while a stay of more than four hours would cost £7.50 as op- posed to the current £5. Maidstone Council argues its tactics are to encourage private motorists to use public transport or the park and ride scheme. However, it concedes: “It is recognised that short-stay town centre car parking plays a vital role in supporting businesses in the town centre.” The council argues the fee in- creases are reasonable, as the new parking tariff levels will still remain competitive within the private town centre car parking market. The council also wants to in-
crease use of the park-and-ride service to help reduce the over- all demand for parking in the town and reorganise it to en-
courage car sharing. Maidstone wants to look at
ways of shifting the fare struc- ture for park-and-ride from “pay-to-ride” to “pay-to-park” in 2013. The council claims the current
fare structure does not encourage car sharing as each passenger is expected to pay for the bus, which conflicts with the objec- tive of reducing the number of cars on the road, and has led to the service being subsidised. “This is clearly not sustain-
able in the current financial cli- mate and puts the future of the service at risk,” says the report. The 50% rise in the cost of long-stay parking is designed to encourage car commuters to consider walking, cycling or using public transport. The report says: “This will
have the effect of better manag- ing traffic congestion and re- lated problems in the town centre during peak periods.” KCC has already committed
to introduce a new bus pass for 16-19 year olds, to make travel more affordable for sixth form- ers, college students and ap- prentices. It will cost £10 per week and provide unlimited bus travel seven days a week.
Cash boost for air ambulance Following the event, members
A CHARITY concert held byMaid- stone Riverside Rotary Club in its 21st anniversary year has raised £8,000 for Kent Air Ambulance and The Heart of Kent Hospice. MaidstoneRiverside has raised
more than £300,000 for local charities since it was founded in 1991. In May, the club organised a
charity concert featuring the Lon- donWelshMale Voice Choir at All Saints’ Church.
visited the Air Ambulance base at Marden, where they are pictured presenting a cheque to the pilot, doctor and critical care para- medic. Money raised from the charity
concert,whichstarred soloistand former Maidstone Girls Grammar School pupil Imogen Dyer, will be shared by the Air Ambulance and The Heart of Kent Hospice, based in Preston Hall, Aylesford.
Seats mark a historic summer TWOcommemorative benches have been placed at Kings Hill in honour of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The engraved benches were sited on The Green in PippinWay
and at the cricket oval by Kings Hill Parish Council and Ton- bridge andMalling Council. The parish council said it hoped the seats would not only help residents remember this special date but also a wonderful summer of sport.
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