Should Sudbury commuters pay more to park?

Commuters...don't they suffer enough?

The budget for 2012/13 was more or less settled today as councillors voted, 33 to 4, to endorse the recommendations on the paper.

There were no surprises, the measures having revolved round various committees for so long that they should really be very familiar by now.

The bottom line is:  useful savings from the integration process; no short term car parking charges but long term charges increased from £1.50 to £2 per day; a 3.5% council tax increase; and no changes to community grants.

The 4 refuseniks were recording their opposition to the Council tax rise, even though the sum in question will amount to rather less than the price of a packet of fags per annum for 80 percent of those residents who pay the tax.  I have already written about this issue in an earlier post.

In the course of discussion it became clear that there are those who believe that people who park in the long term car parks prior to 8.30 a.m. should pay more than those who park later.  One councillor, who shall remain nameless, actually tried to move an amendment to this effect but was unable to find a seconder.

This measure is, of course, aimed at the commuters who take the train up to London.  I suppose the reasoning goes that they must be better off than the local Sudbury workers and therefore can legitimately be stung for more money.

But are they really better off?  Season ticket costs alone must make a pretty large hole in their bank balances, and it is probable that many work elsewhere not for higher salaries but because they cannot always find work close to home.  It is a nonsense to assume that they are all ‘fat cats’. And what about their quality of life?  Commuters have to get up at a horribly early hour and often return home very late. At this time of year they can never see Sudbury in daylight during the week.   This isn’t really a lot of fun for them.

Personally I think that to discriminate against those of our residents who are commuters would be misguided and frankly mean minded.  It could also be highly counterproductive:  we want to encourage people to use our wonderful branch line, and to feel good about doing so.

Besides, I understand that the roads around Bures station are becoming pretty crowded these days, jammed with the cars of those unwilling to pay the current parking charges.  Surely we don’t want to add to this nuisance?