The recent coverage of Islington Council’s proposed changes to parking regulations exposes this administration’s failure to face up to the many problems caused by excessive car use in inner city areas.
Whilst we welcome some of the proposals, including adopting the DVLA’s banding and reducing charging for temporary suspensions of bays, the positive impact of these changes will be dwarfed by the negative impact of others. We believe the proposals will:
- breach the Unitary Development Plan by encouraging inessential car journeys
- reduce road space for buses and increase congestion
- reduce the safety and quality of the environment for pedestrians and cyclists
- lead to the development of a black market in vouchers
- increase emissions in Islington and thus fuel climate change
We must remember that the majority of Islington residents do not own a car; why should they suffer increased congestion and a reduction in air quality as a result of other people’s extra trips by car?The proposals demonstrate that Labour cannot be trusted to protect our local environment, nor to promote a more sustainable future. The money spent on consulting on and implementing these changes would be better spent protecting vital public services.