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Park and Ride |News


Park and ride users Jan Day and Rosemary Pearce


Free up parking across the town


BEARSTED resident Rosemary Pearce has called for all parking to bemade free inMaidstone, to en- courage shoppers to get off the in- ternet and into stores. The retired Landway resident


wonders how amenities will be provided for the extra residents in the borough as a result of the coun- cil’smassive house-building plans. She said: “Itwasmy understand-


ing that the purpose of the park and ride was to keep cars out of Maidstone. “By having free parking at the


sites, this was an incentive to get people to use the service and thus achieve this objective. “I amfortunate to hold a free bus


pass. By charging for the parking, this negates free use of public transport. I might as well not have the bus pass, and instead, drivemy car in to Maidstone. Is that what the borough councilwants? “To get more people into the


town, make all the parking free and improve the quality of the shops there. We don’t all want in- ternet shopping. “I understand that some car


parks are being closed to provide more housing sites, but where are


FACTS AT A GLANCE


It costs £240,000 a year to run the Maidstone park and ride scheme


It aims to prevent 165,000 vehicle movements into Maidstone each year


The new park and pay scheme will cost £2.50 to use


 The new scheme starts in Willington Street and London Road on May 31


 Park and pay operates for a year, with a review in November


the schools, doctors’ surgeries, hos- pitals, water sources and green spaces? They are just as important as homes for commuters to Lon- don.” Jan Day (69) drives from her


home in Sittingbourne with hus- band Terence to use theWillington Street park and ride service. She said: “It will still be worth


our while doing it when the new arrangements come in, and we’re happy to pay for the parking. It will still be cheaper than driving and parking in the town centre.”


Discrimination claimdenied


FORMERMaidstonemayor and Thurnham parish councillor John Horne said the new park and ride discriminats against the elderly and disabled. Cllr Horne said: “Holders of


the (bus) pass will still be able to travel into the centre free using another bus service. “But this fails tomeet the pub-


lic sector equality duty in apply- ing fairness and equality to personswith a protected charac- teristic – namely the elderly and


the disabled. “There is a need for relevant


town centre bus stops for the elderly carrying shopping bags, and for the disabled who have reduced mobility and may re- quire walking aids.” A council officer contested


Cllr Horne’s assertion and de- nied there is discrimination. Cllr Horne says he will now


pursue a formal complaint with the Equality and Human Rights Commission.


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