Parking charges should be increased to fund essential bus services
Liberal Democrat councillor Neil Ross wants to see more useful bus routes established, like the recently axed 42 that connected Craigleith to Portobello.
And to fund services which are often not profitable, he wants to see 'pay and display' bays near the city centre changed to standard parking, and have the council do away with free motorcycle parking bays.
Additionally, he is proposing that free parking on Boxing Day and Easter Monday is done away with – but the capital would still be left with free parking days on Christmas Day and New Years' Day.
He said: 'These bus routes are needed, but they're not commercially successful routes, and that's where the subsidies have to come in.
'But where's the money coming from? That question needs to be answered.
'There are gaps left. One example was the 42 route between Blackhall and Stockbridge, [with its elimination] there isn't a connection which would join up those communities.
'Dumbiedykes doesn't have a connection anymore, from there to the city centre, because for whatever reason it's not got a service anymore.'
In a motion submitted to the council's Transport and Environment Committee, Cllr Ross says that Lothian, as well as other operators, could take up routes funded through the parking changes.
And he asks that council officers research the feasibility of funding the new services and reports back to the same committee in August.
He says that the 'pay and display' bays around the city centre effectively offer discounted parking, raising that some of these bays are across the road for normal, hourly rate parking bays.
He continued: 'Anyone can commute into town from elsewhere, or indeed the suburbs, and park there, for I think four or five pounds a day.
'The same bay across the road is charged at a normal rate, and it would be £2.50 per hour, or whatever the going figure is.
'My point is, I'm happy for people if they want to park there for the whole day – just the same price as everybody else. Why should it be discounted?
'It's taking away that incentive for anyone wanting to commute from the outskirts, or indeed outside town altogether.
'I don't think that's in line with the objectives of the sustainability plans not to encourage people to commute [by driving].'
He said that, in looking to remove free parking on Boxing Day and Easter Monday, he didn't want to squeeze retailers.
Rather, he wants to see people take the bus in to go to the shops on that day.
By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter
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