How can you park and ride now?
Monday 16th April 2007, 10:06AM BST.
I’m the first to complain about . . . well everything actually, writes News Blogger David Burrows. I fear I may be turning into Victor Meldrew. I hope Grumpy Old Men is still on the telly in a few years time . . . I might become famous at last.
Anyway, one of the many things I like to moan about is able bodied people parking in spaces designated for the disabled.
It irks me when I see someone pull up in a disabled space at Sainsbury’s (other supermarkets are available!) and then jump out and jog to the doors, having only parked there because it is 12 yards closer to the entrance.
But I can’t help thinking that Arriva Trains may have got things slightly wrong at Shrewsbury Station. Suddenly the whole central area of the car park has been turned into a giant disabled area.
I’m not disputing the old spaces were probably in the wrong place, but what about everybody else who wants to use the station?
Still, they probably can’t afford to park there anymore after the parking fees were put up by a massive amount in February.
Remember that slogan: “This is the age of the train”? No wonder they don’t use that anymore.
David Burrows is the Shropshire Star’s National News Editor.
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I had to wait for my daughter on Saturday at 6pm. I didn’t know there was no parking places until I arrived in the car park. Even at this quieter it was bedlam with cars reversing and parking in odd places, trying to wait for people to come off the trains. There is even zigzag lines outside the station entrance, so dropping people off is impossible. Goodness knows what it will be like at busy times.
Still the taxi drivers were amused!
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I believe this was done in conjunction with the New Meadow to stop people using the spaces parking for the game. Still i can’t see that Disabled lines will discourage them too much!
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I SUGGEST THEY PARK AT ATCHAM , WOULD BE NEARER TO NEW MEADOW GUESTY McGUEST ,HAVE YOU TRIED TO PARK WITHOUT BLUE BADGE?
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I arrived at Shrewsbury Station at 6.30pm on Friday 13.04.07 coming home in mourning following my father’s funeral three days earlier. I expected to be met on the platform by my husband, which would have been a great comfort to me. He was not on the platform or by the ticket barriers. He was stuck in his car having reversed in a disabled parking bay to get out of the way and out of the chaos in the car park. There were cars everywhere. Trying to manhandle my suitcase, which was very difficult as I had already wrenched by arm having to get my case up and over the bridge at Nottingham Station in a hurry as a points failure had left me with four minutes to find my platform and get there, I slipped off the curb trying to avoid a car pulling into the drop off bay and hurt my recently recovered foot. My husband did not dare leave the car for fear of it being clamped or receiving a ticket while away from it. He was as bewildered as I was as to what was going on. We looked around and could not see any normal parking spaces. During college term time we use the care park Monday to Friday to take our daughter to catch and return on the Wrexham train. As it is regularly late or cancelled on the return journey we often have to wait at the station. We have to go into the station to top up her monthly season ticket or to get information. What are we to do then? I phoned the NRI asking for a telephone number of Shrewsbury Station but was told they do not give out this number. The person I spoke to phoned Shrewsbury Station and told me that there were normal spaces but did not say where they were or how many. I have since found out that there are two at the end of the railway staff parking bays. Luckily our daughter comes to the end of her college course in June but we will be looking into taking her to Gobowen as an alternative in the meantime. We are all supposed to use public transport but what is the point when fools make it so difficult.
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This is really the end of the line. Not only do we have to put up with a rail service that morphs into a coach service when it reaches Wolverhampton, continual filth outside the station as well as taxi drivers who seem to dictate parking policy, but now no spaces for able bodied drivers. Well done Arriva.
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There is a hell of a difference between those who can’t walk and those who won’t walk. Sadly in today’s society those who won’t walk are, more often than not, better catered for than those who can’t walk.
As a disabled driver myself – thank you Arriva.
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If there is nowhere obvious to park while waiting to pick someone up, then people are either going to think ‘to hell with it’ and park where they shouldn’t, or keep circling round the forecourt so they don’t have to park. What a shambles! I was there late on Sunday evening to collect someone (the first time I’d been there since things were changed) and when I drove in I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Fortunately at that time of night the place was almost deserted so I just went into a BR space because it was not at all obvious whether there were ANY spaces for the general, non-disabled public. Surely disabled spaces should be provided as a percentage of the spaces available? Does anyone know if there is any guidance on this? Come on Arriva, reinstate a decent percentage of the normal parking spaces please.
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Sir I was in Bridgnorth over Easter and I thought it looked the same as ever with good local shops and the cliff railway still in existence to serve the high town and the low town.The Severn Valley Steam Railway still functionong at weekends and during weekdays in the holidays. Stephen J Blasby Richmond Surrey
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I am a driving instructor, and i quite often get pupils from out of town who catch train.
Sometimes i have to wait anything from 5-30 mins for pupils to arrive off train, depending how late train is!
I can honestly say that in the 4 years ive been an instructor, waiting at station, i have never seen both of the disabled bays being used, let alone the need for 9.
Also i have got to the station at times and not been able to park at all anywhere due to car park being full, so wheres the sense in making 9 disabled bays, to all lie empty, and people not being able to park?
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In reply to Sue – who states herself as a disabled driver – I would like to raise the point that yes there are those who won’t walk and those who can’t but when you are collecting someone or taking someone to the train station having no where to park is a great issue. My daughter on a weekly basis collects her partially sighted athletics coach from the train station and now has no where to park because of the over provision of disabled spaces. There is only a parking time of 20 mins anyway so if you are unable to walk and where catching the train you would not park here anyway. You would, one would assume get someone to drop you off. So although I have the greatest amount of respect for disabled drivers I do feel that the provision has to equal – never mind disabililty discrimination, it works both ways. I am sure because of my last comment I will have upset a lot of people but if you can’t take the flack don’t give it.
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i dont understandwhy folk dont get off their backsides and either walk or use buses or trains to get to and fro and stop moaning about parking spaces and charges ps there is lso the taxis iff you have a car you should be able to afford to run it
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Regards Dionne’s comments,,, I think you have it right,, your remarks are reasonable,,, as a % disabled bays are to profuse,, but possibly take account of the mental inadequate’s of life who use these bays and any other whenever they wish,, they have no consideration for anyone… The disabled bays need reducing almost everywhere,,, and £500 fines for those who use them when not entitled. And a free phone number to report suspects,,, and those who borrow someone’s dis/badge.
I often see all ages getting out of cars (generally large ones (4wd)) and walking better than I can to the supermarket. All private bays (supermarkets) should be required to police them as if authority owned.
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Shrewsbury bus station is only around the corner and a short walk to the train station, there is absolutley no reason why able bodied people can’t be picked up near there or use the bus service to and from their own home anyway. Use the taxi’s, even though a bit pricy but for the able bodied person there are many options available. Fair enough if you have to use your car to drop people off but doesn’t it make sense to get the person you are picking up to telephone you when they arrive so you only spend minimal time blocking up the car park.
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