On 30 Jul 2013 at 12:04am The Old Mayor wrote:
I saw on the news tonight, that the Government are urging local councils to allow shoppers to park on double yellows for up to 20 mins. To pop into shops in order to save our high streets. That sounds a good idea, but won't allow enough time for the post office queue! They have decided councils are screwing the car drivers enough !! Pot and kettle eh ?
On 30 Jul 2013 at 12:46am Hatchback wrote:
Double yellow lines are there for a reason. In fact I saw an accident in Lewes last week caused specifically by a car parked on double yellows that was forcing other vehicles to squeeze between a narrow gap....unsuccessfully. I wonder what Norman Baker has to say on this subject? He has done absolutely nothing whatsoever to improve, or even try to improve our badly conceived , if necessary parking scheme, yet is happy to moan about it when it suits him. Allowing parking on double yellows is also ridiculous. If it was only one car a day in a spot, then maybe we could all cope, but it would simply mean a regular if not continuous stream of cars throughout busy times of the day in the most dangerous parts of the town, such as in front of junctions and traffic lights. Yes excess cars are a problem, and Mr Pickles needs to get us all out of this privatised Parking Scheme pickle, but this idea is the sort of thing only dreamt up by someone who is completely out of touch with reality. Norman is no better. He hasn't even come up with a useless suggestion. How long does this mess have to go on for?
On 30 Jul 2013 at 1:35am Mr Baba wrote:
This is non issue. Its just one of many diversionary tactics used to dissuade voters, to put distance from the real issues of real concern. TOM no need to panic your place in the Post Office queue is safe.
On 30 Jul 2013 at 7:07am Phfellow2004 wrote:
I would not normally wish to associate myself with the views of Norman Baker because I have generally disapproved of his behavior and performance as the Lewes MP particularly when he 'took time out' to write a book about Dr David Kelly and earned a six figure sum in doing so whilst he was supposed to serving the electorate.
As a Coalition Transport Minister he was quoted in the newspapers yesterday 'We are keen to ensure that the high street works for businesses by stopping parking illegally for hours on end.' With the high streets in danger of dying off over aggressive parking enforcement is part of the reason.
Lewes, perhaps, has more narrow roads than most which necessitate double yellow lines and so a measure of relaxation would not be practical everywhere but there is certainly scope in, say, School Hill and the High Street. LDC should consider giving it a try!
Whilst on the subject of transport, I notice in the Sussex Express last week that Norman Baker is pictured standing proudly in front of a new road sign
on the A27 designed to highlight to motorists alternative travel options and ease congestion between Lewes and Eastbourne by taking the train. OK fair enough for those who might find it convenient to travel using this method but, for me, Norman Baker has consistently failed to support the most obvious which is to turn the whole of the A27 between Lewes and Polegate into dual carriageway. Mr Baker, as a Transport Minister, has a golden opportunity to promote this project immediately which he has disassociated himself from in the past.
On 30 Jul 2013 at 7:14am SLF wrote:
Norman Baker apparently said that this idea was unworkable. I tend to agree, it's the parking scheme that needs reviewing not the double yellow lines.
Yesterday Norman Baker, Minister for Transport no less, was interviewed giving his opinion on this matter by a cameraman parked in a disabled parking space!!
When challenged at the time, he was extremely dismissive Ok so that's the answer-leave the double yellow lines clear for safety but just help yourself to parking spaces meant for blue badge holders...
Check it out here »
On 30 Jul 2013 at 8:55am Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
The parking scheme would be a bit less dire if they hadn't made such a big reduction in the number of on-street spaces when it was introduced.
Maybe a review of the double AND single yellow lines would be a good idea, they might be able to free up a bit more parking.
It still wouldn't solve the major problem for many people though, which is the need to accurately predict how long your shopping/lunch/doctor's appointment is going to take, and getting lumbered with a £30 ticket if you get it wrong. That's what puts people off coming into town.
The only ticket I've had which wasn't appealed successfully was when a haircut that normally takes less than an hour took almost 2, because the hairdresser was running late.
And how mad is it that people now drive across town to Ringmer to use the post office, simply because they can park? It's ludicrous.
On 30 Jul 2013 at 9:06am Shopelsewhere wrote:
The trouble with Norman is that he is very goo dat saying what he doesn't support, such as double yellow line parking, and the flawed Lewes CPZ that we have ended up with, but in the very long time we have had these problems he has done absolutely nothing whatsoever to get improvements. What is this Lewes Mp for if he cannot be vocal about something affecting Lewes adversely, and that almost everyone agrees is a mess.
You would think he would club together with Councillors to do something, but he hasn't. It is embarrassing. i would prefer that he tried and failed, but he has even failed at failure.
On 30 Jul 2013 at 9:10am lewes born and bred wrote:
if this is going to happen, we need to have yellow lines where people can stop for 20 mins, and red lines where it's an absolute no-no to stop for safety reasons
On 30 Jul 2013 at 10:05am Border Control wrote:
Surely the answer is simple, why can't we have some pay as you leave car parks ? Because the council are milking us !!!
On 30 Jul 2013 at 10:23am Old Cynic wrote:
Want to save the high street - its easy. Cheaper car parking! No need to confuse drivers by fiddling around with double yellow lines .... this government local and central is clueless
On 30 Jul 2013 at 1:13pm Independent Thinker wrote:
I can understand asking councils to review where they've put double yellows to see if they could be single yellows instead. But it's nuts to change what double yellows mean given how often they're there for good reasons. How often have we seen gridlock on the High Street on the stretch between Station Street and the Bottle Neck because some idiot has decided to park somewhere they shouldn't.
By the way, PHFellow 2004, whatever you think of Baker, that "six figure sum" line has been thrown around a few times on here, and always turns out someone just made it up. First time writer of a non-ficition book aimed at political obsessives? I don't think so.
On 30 Jul 2013 at 6:50pm Phfellow2004 wrote:
Whoops, sorry Independent Thinker, perhaps I should have added that the 6 figure sum should have included Norman's substantial fee from The Daily Mail who not only ran his tale over several editions but who also gave him amazing publicity, too, to promote his tome! He should never have done this.......he was on a big ego trip to seek publicity but that is typical of Norman who would probably attend the opening of an envelope if there was a camera about!
On 30 Jul 2013 at 8:59pm Independent Thinker wrote:
Phfellow2004, I'm genuinely curious as when this has come up before, nobody has ever actually given any basis for the numbers. Where do you get the 6 figure sum from? Doesn't impact on your argument about what MPs should be allowed to do in their spare time, or whether they should even have spare time, but that's a huge amount of money for a publisher or newspaper to pay for something not involving "celebs". Can you provide any links to where you got the info from?
On 31 Jul 2013 at 8:16am Pete wrote:
Get on the train or bus or walk, end of.....
On 31 Jul 2013 at 10:55am middleclassandabitsmug wrote:
If this went ahead then double yellow lines would become parking spaces, where you can stay for 20 min. Once someone left someone else would park there. Not workable
On 31 Jul 2013 at 12:45pm belladonna wrote:
So why would you have double yellows? Surely single yellows with a limited waiting allowed. Anyway - who would monitor it ?
On 31 Jul 2013 at 2:04pm Another voice of reason wrote:
I agree, if doubles yellows are not there for any good safety reasons they should be painted over and normal parking bays created.
If they ARE there for good safety reasons then no parking should be allowed. And will traffic wardens sit there for the whole time and issue tickets as soon as you've parked for 21+ minutes. It is a ridiculous idea. Clearly one which bumbling government idiots come up with while they have nothing to do?
On 1 Aug 2013 at 1:40pm Knoxon Cutts wrote:
Sorry to go off topic but who did Norman put in the frame for the Dr Kelly hit,anyone read it?
On 1 Aug 2013 at 9:08pm Independent Thinker wrote:
KC, I think he was just saying official version of suicide left too many questions, rather than pinning it on anyone in particular, but could be wrong. I never read it, and don't know anyone who has. Another reason I'm sure that "six figure sum" was just made up. Publishers and newspapers would go broke even faster than they are if they spent that much on niche subjects.