“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?”

“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...”

“@ 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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“I find it laughable the leader of the County Council berates the City for lack of action when for the last year and half I drive past a partially completed Park and Ride in Birstal.

Even if I had wanted to I couldn't use it and the question to ask is why? Oh is that because the agreement the County Council made with the developer was that the scheme wouldn't be completed until so many houses were built, just as the housing market slumped. How clever was that...”

“Mr Parsons obviously lives in cloud cuckoo land.

Can you imagine trying to get large purchases that would easily fit in a car boot/estate car onto a bus?? The driver would boot you off - PDQ. I've known driver refuse passengers for carrying a tin of paint !!!!!

My own experience of bus drivers is that the dont show sufficient professionalism for the job and fail to drive with the courtesy and consideration passengers deserve and expect. Harsh braking, then ease off, then whack the brakes on.

As a motorist, and a very regular user of public transport (train, tram and bus), if vehicles were banned from the city centre, I, and thousands like me, would take my business to a town where we are welcome. Simples.

Public transport in Leicester has a very long way to go to get to the level of frequency, cleanliness and courtesy displaced by the trams and buses in Zurich for example.

And don't you like the vagueness of what areas of the city Mr Parsons refers to for banning cars????

Sorry Mr Parsons, it's an idea that's total fantasy, you know it, we know it and now you look rather foolish. Engage brain before opening mouth, my Dad used to say.

Don't forget, Leicester had a chance for a tram system in the early '90s, and rejected it (twice) on cost. Then the county council has whinged and squirmed over Ivanhoe Line phase 2 so much it was killed off by the understated passenger figures and the expectation Central Government should foot the bill. Positive about public transport? Not LCC.

Yet our neighbours in Nottingham have a successful tram system and the Robin Hood rail line which has gone from strength to strength.

I rest my case.”

“Leicester City Council like to be seen as discouraging traffic in the City Centre. They will tell you that they do this by not allowing weekly or monthly parking tickets for their car parks, not even for LCC staff. This is true. As staff of LCC you have to pay full price for parking at Phoenix Car Park. What they dont mention is that at the Social Services office they have their own parking ticket machine that allows staff to pay a discounted price for parking at the NCP car park on Welford Road. I have availed myself of the service for quite a while. Also certain new staff are "encouraged" to join are welcomed with either/or a Golden Hello (£2-£5k) and free parking at the NCP on Welford Road if they cant give them a space under the New Walk Centre. LCC are paying for subsidised and free car parking with the NCP (another place your taxes are being spent), yet they can still say that there is no subsidised or free parking at their own car parks. Such hypocrisy should not be condoned.”

“When you make Busses take mobility scooters not just wheelchairs i might think about it”

“county hall has approximately 1000 car park spaces . enough said .sort that out . hypocrites cant complain . council empoyees drive to work by choice like i want to choose to drive to town . what car does he drive ? does anybody know ?”