Council parking fine vultures ruining tourist industry

 
1 2 3
London is the No. 1 tourist destination in Britain
London is the No. 1 tourist destination in Britain
Aug. 28, 2015 - PRLog -- Certain county councils are employing debt collectors to chase foreign tourists for unpaid parking fines. If anything is going to deter return tourists and earn Britain a bad  reputation, it is the attitude of penalising our foreign visitors.

People do not always get parking fines because they have deliberately flouted the rules, I have acquired parking fines on two occasions simply because I forgot to pay. It is very easy to become distracted and leave a car park without obtaining a ticket. Several years ago, on an extremely wet and windy day in mid November, in Sheringham, on the Norfolk coast, my concentration was focussed on holding tight to the car door to prevent it being swept away and then, holding onto my hat, to find shelter out of the rain. Norfolk, despite its good beaches and many attractions, has been on my personal banned list ever since.

In my opinion, councils could easily ensure that parking fees are always paid and that is by installing a barrier that will only lift when the correct payment is made. This tends to suggest that the income made in parking fines from elderly, forgetful and distracted visitors is more valuable than the parking fees themselves.

Another problem arises in cities and towns where payment for parking has to be made by mobile phone. I have tried this unsuccessfully in London and think that it is not a practical scheme for tourists. The first step is to register for parking by text or a phone call, followed by a call to pay by card. Tourists usually visit popular places where a voice on a telephone may be drowned out by the roar of traffic. English may not be a tourist’s first language which creates additional difficulties.

In Britain we are aware of how debt collector’s fees inflate parking fees to astronomical proportions. If councils implement their parking fine collection schemes abroad, I don’t think that it will be long before holidaymakers begin blacklisting Britain.

Park and Ride schemes are very good at reducing the aggravation of parking in city centres. Notably, no such scheme exists for London – our top British tourist destination. Unsurprisingly, the number of unpaid parking fines is highest in the capital. There are station car parks where people can catch trains into the centre but no organised shuttle service that exists in other popular cities.

The bus and rail network is very good around London and perhaps foreign and British tourists need guidance to leave cars at home and to rely on train and bus services. There are a good number of places to stay and holiday cottages to rent within an hour or so of central London, in pleasantly green and safe areas just outside the M25.  Enjoy good days out in London, during a holiday, without any traffic worries or danger of parking fines.

The wise county councils, keen on promoting tourism in their areas could take advantage of the greed and stupidity of the parking fine vultures and advertise their counties as tourist friendly with adequate fair and sensible parking facilities.

The Scottish are more welcoming; Edinburgh has seven Park &Ride car parks, Glasgow five, Aberdeen four and Perth two.  Perhaps that is the answer for hassle free holidays without the risk of fines in Britain – visit Scotland instead.

End
Source: » Follow
Email:***@countrycottagesonline.com Email Verified
Tags:London, Tourism, Holiday, Accommodation, Parking Fine, Council, Norfolk, Scotland
Industry:Advertising, Tourism, Travel
Location:England
Account Email Address Verified     Account Phone Number Verified     Disclaimer     Report Abuse



Like PRLog?
9K2K1K
Click to Share