Forum Topic

Ealing Parking Services Room 101 Strikes AGAIN!

In January of this year, an almighty Ealing Council cock-up was exposed when it was discovered that EC Parking Services had been overcharging residents in Acton Zone K1 nearly double for their parking permits for the last two years. After much huff puff smoke and mirrors denial from the aforementioned, eventually the council was forced to offer everyone their money back. It is unknown at this time just how much council taxpayer's money was wasted on this spectacular piece of data dereliction by Ealing Council. See  http://acton.ealinggazette.co.uk/2010/01/acton-parking-permit-blunder.htmlMoving swiftly on to September, Paloma Kubiak has just recently published a piece entitled Increased parking permit price 'unfairly targets' motorists in the Acton & Ealing Gazette http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/ealing-news/local-ealing-news/2010/09/09/increased-parking-permit-price-unfairly-targets-motorists-64767-27236875/One can but speculate if the substantial cost of fixing Ealing Council's data incompetence exposed in January is most unfairly being borne by the motoring residents of the borough eight months later.  Ealing Parking Services Room 101 strkes again. Jane

Jane Bryant ● 5848d9 Comments

Meant to add in the full text of Paloma Kubiak's article published in the Acton & Ealing Gazette on September 9, but forgot, so here it is:Increased parking permit price 'unfairly targets' motoristshttp://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/ealing-news/local-ealing-news/2010/09/09/increased-parking-permit-price-unfairly-targets-motorists-64767-27236875/Sep 9 2010 By Paloma KubiakMOTORISTS say they are being unfairly targeted by town hall chiefs who propose to significantly increase the price of a parking permit from next year.Parking permits currently cost £25 and £40 depending on which zone the car is registered in, but at a cabinet meeting to be held on Tuesday, councillors will discuss plans to increase the permits to £45 and £75 respectively.Transport officers say the reason behind the move is to 'end the subsidy of charges' as the costs of implementing controlled parking zones outweigh the revenue raised from them.But Jane Bryant, a health advocate of Maldon Road, Acton, who was incorrectly charged nearly double the price of a permit earlier this year, said: "I think the Council parking services are like Room 101."This is a great deal of money and they're trying to rip off the motorist and this should be stopped."I don't think people are given a choice but to pay as they are bamboozled into this by the Council."There is a staggering increase on some of the permit types which is ridiculous."Figures show that the cost of implementing CPZs during 2009/10 stood at around £3.8million whereas revenue received, including from parking tickets was £3.2million, creating an over-spend of approximately £550,000.And the Council are hoping to balance their budget sheet by increasing the cost of a permit, starting in January 2011.Cabinet member for Transport and Environment, Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, said: "As a council we face a massive challenge to balance the books as a consequence of national government cuts. "Currently all council tax payers, including around a third of households that don’t have a vehicle and thousands of people who don’t live in controlled parking zones, help subsidise the cost of operating CPZs. "We are proposing to increase the price of permits to reduce the subsidy provided by other council tax payers, but the costs would still be competitive compared to other boroughs."The council will also discuss 50per cent discounts for electric cars, direct debit payments for permits, and rolling out a pay by phone system for visitors and people who do not have any change.

Jane Bryant ● 5848d

If raising the cost of parking permits limits the number of cars we have driving around our roads - I'm all for it.What about a discount for those houses who only have one car registered at that address?  (A house in multiple occupation could have say 5 cars/vans registered at its address.)  And a larger permit cost for large white vans!! who often take up the space of 2 smaller cars.

Dee Cook ● 5848d

Nice idea though this is, it is very doubtful that the cost of a permit increase will limit the number of cars on our streets. The cost of petrol and running a car might, but it's highly doubtful that EC trying to get in more ackers from the poor benighted motorist will. What the increase will do is to pay for Ealing Council's devastating data incompetence back in January. They overcharged by nearly double in Zone K1 for two years, so now they plan to neatly cover their data dereliction costs by doubling up for real.Jane

Jane Bryant ● 5848d

If the current revenue generated by permits is approx £3.25 million, and the "cost" of administration, expenses and other charges costs the Council £3.8 million, then increasing the permit by about 80% will produce a revenue of about £6 million, resulting in a £2.25 million "surplus".And that's without any inclusion of revenue generated from PCN's which don't fall equally over all households!!Where does the surplus revenue from PCN's go, if not into the Councils coffers?And what costs the Council over £3 million to run a permit department? If it genuinely costs that much, then either there are a lot of highly paid Council employees (hah!) or it is run extremely inefficiently. If so, the doing away with CPZ's would seem to be the most economical way forward.... Now, there's an idea for cost savings!!!

Kevin Regan ● 5848d

Time to outsource this service or retender it to get a cheaper price.    No doubt Ealing Council are presently looking into that.

Dee Cook ● 5848d

Kevin, that is the best Room 101 solution for wretched Ealing Council Parking Services ever and has doubtless given many a good chuckle. Lol! Your maths are indisputable. The EC arrogance attitude to residents has always been remarkable:  you pleb, me gov, gissa your money, we know you can't count.Jane

Jane Bryant ● 5848d

If you go to the Chiswick Front Page, there is a detailed breakdown of the income and Costs, "justifying" the increase.However if one deletes all the Residents permits income and subtracts those costs from the columns, the shortfall reduces to less than £250,000 by NOT having any CPZ and instead relying on PCN's to control parking. So, why not a compromise? There are obviously known problem areas, mainly around train and tube stations and shopping areas that probably still need controlled parking, say 2 hours maximum, to stop commuters and others unfairly blocking access, otherwise is there any other benefit from having CPZ's?And that's accepting the figures as totally accurate

Kevin Regan ● 5847d

Kevin, call me a cynic if you like but after the machinations that I endured at the hands of Ealing Parking Services when caught with their data trousers so firmly down round their ankles over Acton Zone K1 residents parking, I was left with the distinct impression that compromise is not a word in EC's vocabulary. They want the moolah by hook or by crook, with car owners as the ever soft target. I'd be absolutely delighted if I turned out to be wrong in my assumption. Wouldn't we all? Your parking proposal is entirely credible.Jane

Jane Bryant ● 5846d

Everyone needs to wake up.Parking controls were introduced as a lovely idea to stop those commuters parking all day long outside homes.  How thoughtful and considerate of councils.But now, it has become big business.  Money is to be made from this lovely brainwave.  It will even survive a recession!  Fees rising at an alarming rate.Now residents cannot have visitors over, visit a park with their children during certain hours (if not at any time during the day) unless you pay and display first, go to the local shops, dentist, doctor, the list is endless.I applaud all councils, what a lovely idea.  ~Well done!

Emma Watts ● 5817d