So despite the rhetoric about leaving our cars at home, taking the bus to work and helping to improve the environment of our city centre, our council leaders aren't exactly living up to their public words.
Today in a special investigation, our reporter Matthew Aplin has discovered that six out of seven of Cardiff Council's executive cabinet are still driving to work and parking for free in County Hall's underground car park.
Unlike our readers, they face no £5 a day charge... they don't even get wet when it rains.
The Echo has taken a bit of flak from County Hall for pursuing this report - what is the relevance of this information?, we were asked.
The relevance is that our political leaders are trying to persuade us to use public transport more and to leave our dirty cars at home.
They double the car parking charges - while criticising NCP for doing the same - and say that the public must get used to using park and ride and other facilities.
Yet - when push comes to shove - they know that at this moment in time there is no realistic alternative to using the car for most.
That is why council leader Rodney Berman drives to his work. Just like the rest of our readers. Except he gets to park for free right next to his office.
I acknowledge that transport is an increasingly tough issue to tackle politically. Yes, we all want fewer cars on the road. Yes, we all want a cleaner environment. And yes we all want better public transport. But it costs - and without that investment it is nigh on impossible to shift the motorist out of the warmth of his or her car and onto the bus or train.
The council are wrong to try to bring the new £5 a day parking charge. It will put more people off coming to Cardiff - and it helps build the perception that Cardiff is an unfriendly city for motorists.
If they have any sense they will drop the plan today - and get on with trying to encourage more people into the city, rather than put obstacles in their way.
Ray Hurrell wrote...
I cannot agree more with you. It is absolutely scandalous that the Lib Dem council members can enjoy their free parking at the expense of the people who voted for them.
In addition, this whole sordid affair has been completely mismanaged and poorly implemented -
- wrong signs in the wrong places. Long Term parking signs were put up in the short term parking area next to the Magistrates Court. Result? People worried when they could not get a ticket of the right value because the machine could only produce short stay tickets. They changed the sign to short stay today (11 days after implementation).
- the machines frequently don't work. I have left notes in my car window twice now when this has happened. Thankfully no parking ticket was issued.
- the fact that it is going to take 'x' weeks to introduce the £3 max charge is a joke and reducing even further the revenue required to support the cost of the change. People are voting with their wheels and finding alternative free parking.
- regarding the council's view that the reason that parking spaces remain unused is because people are using alternative transport and car sharing. This is complete tosh. I know exactly where people are now parking and its free if you are prepared to walk a little further than usual to work.
- I expect the traders in the city centre to report a poor Xmas this year. Who is going to come into the city and pay such exorbitant public and private parking charges? The people who will benefit here are the business park traders. Toys R Us must be laughing all the way to the Bank.
In my business if a project like this was implemented so poorly the project team would be sacked. Roll on the May elections!
Posted by: Ray Hurrell | October 11, 2007 3:08 PM