Today was the single concession Barnet Council made to hard pressed businesses and traders in the run up to Christmas. There was a two hour free parking period between 3pm and 5pm. I nipped up to Cafe Buzz to give Helen Michael a christmas card and have a mince pie and was shocked to find that there were no posters or any other information publicising the parking amnesty. Most drivers were simply pulling up and paying by phone as usual. The parking system run by NSL accepted their payments and some were livid to be informed that they should have been able to park for free.
It seems that Barnet Council cannot organise anuthing properly. I bumped into a Tory Councillor, who rather lamely stated "There is information on the Council website". Do you check the council website for notices every time you park?
Traders said some people even had come down because they had been told of the amnesty and then seen no signs and so had paid. One customer told me that they had been caught out before by parking wardens when they thought parking restrictions have been relaxed, so wasn't prepared to take the chance.
Barnet Council should immediately apologise and declare Christmas Eve a parking amnesty day.
If I wake up and hell has frozen over, I guess we'll know they have.
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2 comments:
I was in Castle Road car park in North Finchley today. There was no signage that it was free parking for two hours. I spoke to at least a dozen people both when I arrived and when I was leaving that it was free for two hours. Some thanked me for letting them know. A few were more sceptical and said they would pay anyway because they didn't want to risk getting a ticket. I watched numerous people on the high road paying by phone. Frankly I think it is a complete and utter farce and shows what a hopelessly disorganised lot Barnet Council really are. Every single person that paid by phone today should have their money refunded automatically.
I was aware that there was meant to be two hours of free parking - but like everybody else found no signs saying where this was eligible. I have just hunted on the Barnet website and did eventually track down a poster - it was pretty well hidden.
This is obviously a sly ploy to pretend the council is 'putting the community first' when it is reeling in the cash and doesn't give a sh*t. This leads me consolidate my view that the members of our council decision making cabinet are a heinous bunch of b*st*rds.
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