Andy Crawford | Reborn in PHP

Room 101 | Resident Permit Holder Parking

Published January 2015 | By Andy Crawford

What is so wrong with Resident Permit Holder Parking (on the Public Highway)

Room 101

When I go to my daughters house (who is away at University), to drop her off or pick her up, along with a whole load of luggage too, there is nowhere that I can legally park my car. When I say 'nowhere' I mean that I have not found anywhere in the vicinity, as all the roads have yellow lines and parking restrictions or Permit Holder Only Parking. So my only option is to park illegally (while we ferry the contents of my car in the house and up the stairs) then drive to another area to park and walk half a mile back again.

So who benefits from Permit Holder Only Parking? And what right do they have to steal parking space from the public?

Firstly it's a con. It is a way that local authorities have devised, to take parking away from us, and then rent it back to people who buy a permit from them. It's not as if a permit provides a parking space. No it merely allows a 'resident permit holder' to park there, IF there is a space for them.

Second, what right does the local authority have to take that space from us? The public highway belongs to everyone. If they want to restrict parking to everyone that's fine, but to restrict parking to only those who are fortunate enough to live their AND who have paid for a permit is plain and simply wrong.

But some may argue, it solves the parking problem for residents. I tend to think that if people are going to own cars, they should have a place to keep them. I cannot think of any other possession that someone might have which is worth hundreds, even thousands (or even tens of thousands) of pounds, and the owner is prepared to leave it in the street overnight when it is not being used.

If people don't have somewhere to store their cars, they should not have those cars. That would solve the parking problem on the public (yes public) highway where parking is in short supply, reduce traffic, reduce conjestion and encourage people to have better priorities in life.