Leicestershire County Council leader wants ban on cars in the city centre
Cars should be banned from Leicester city centre to force people to use public transport, a politician has said.
David Parsons, leader of Leicestershire County Council, said the city council should get tough on motorists.
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David Parsons, leader of Leicestershire County Council
He said the move would help park-and-ride services, which are subsidised by both the city and county councils, attract passengers.
He said: "We're providing the carrot. Now the city council needs to provide the stick.
"If private cars were banned in Leicester city centre, people would be more likely to use public transport, and park-and-ride schemes, to get into the city.
"The amount of traffic which clogs up the centre of Leicester most days is incredible. Something needs to be done about it.
"I'm not talking about the whole city, just the main city centre area.
"The city council should be doing all it can to encourage people to use public transport, and closing the city centre to cars would be a bold move."
He did not say which parts of the city centre he thought cars should be banned from.
About 33,000 cars travel into the city every day.
But Councillor Abdul Osman, city council transport spokesman, said: "This is a complete non-starter. We're not considering this.
"It would cripple the city centre economy which is on the road to recovery after the recession. It wouldn't just affect residents, it would affect traders and tourists coming to Leicester.
"We have discussed road charges in the past but they haven't been particularly popular.
"It's our job to give people the choice of using good public transport, not forcing them to use it."
Work on a further park-and-ride service has been approved and is likely to start later this year. The £5.5 million parking site at Hallam Fields, Birstall, will provide a service into the city centre every 15 minutes.
Bus stops at key sites within the city centre would be created.
To save on costs, the county council, alongside the city council, hopes to link up the Birstall park-and-ride with the existing Enderby service.
This would reduce the number of buses and drivers used, saving tens of thousands of pounds a year.
The service will go in a loop from Birstall to Enderby via the city centre.
It would take in St Margaret's bus station, De Montfort University and Leicester Royal Infirmary.
It could also include stops in Waterloo Way, by the railway station, and in Belgrave Road.
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by Mike, The real world
Friday, July 30 2010, 7:28PM
“Park and ride for a few thousand cars, and this is sufficient to ban cars from the city? Nonsense. Maybe if regular public transport hadn't been cut repeatedly in recent years there would be fewer cars in the city centre. Make buses reliable, affordable and more pleasant to use and people might leave their cars at home. Move businesses out of the city centre and you'll reduce congestion where it's worst. Ban cars from the city and you'll just get more people shopping at Fosse Park and in their local villages, moving money from the city into the county - I wonder if this has occurred to Mr. Parsnip?”
by Steve, Countesthorpe
Friday, July 30 2010, 1:29PM
“David - I didnt offer to help, just to see how you coped....but you are quite right, no one will bother going into Leicester because they cannot buy big goods there if they cannot transport them home easily. Out of town shopping will thrive and the city centre will die....back to my original point...”
by LeicesterLocal, Leicester!
Friday, July 30 2010, 10:55AM
“@ Jane C, - so what is LCC Travel policy ? The top people can have a car park space regardless of need, distance travelled, car type , whatever. Why do other staff need to use their OWN cars for work ? Isn't city public transport adequate ? It does seem like another case of the rules being made by people they don't apply to. People trying to dictate to others should lead by example WHATEVER their level.”
by jon, leicester
Friday, July 30 2010, 12:34AM
“it took me 20mins to drive into leicester today and only 5 mins to do the same return journey straight after dropping my wife off at the lri. This wasn't due to congestion but because of the ridiculous traffic light timings. The city council actively encourage cars into the city with the revamped highcross and its mega parking opportunities! You wouldnt need park n ride if you have cheap, reliable, regular buses because people could catch the bus in their own street/village etc without the need to drive to catch a bus. But now we have fewer bus routes, fewer services and pay more money. No wonder we prefer to drive. Will the new park n ride go to l'boro? afterall for the density of population l'boro becomes very congested. But then they have just allowed a 2nd tesco supermarket to open this time on top of a car park in the town centre. Good incentive to use the bus there.”
by Peter, Wigston, Leicestershire
Thursday, July 29 2010, 11:30PM
“Fortunately I don't often need to venture into Leicester City centre - if I bought a TV, it would almost certainly be delivered from internet based shops. But in the last few years I have driven, cycled and taken the bus.
Cycling is quite healthy apart from the traffic fumes but I can't carry my youngster on it, nor carry too much shopping. It is also potentially hazardous.
The bus is quite handy, every 15 minutes from near where I live in Wigston, but much too expensive. However the buses are all fairly new and much better than they used to be.
My car manages about 8p a mile of diesel (60+mpg), so it works out much cheaper than the bus if parking is not costly and it is easier to carry shopping.
The real answer is to make public transport much cheaper. £1 for a return journey maximum.”