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Tram gates holiday con

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Quite often where on street parking is free on Sundays, it's also free on bank holidays as well (Broomhill and around the Botanical Gardens for example), presumably because someone has decided that road conditions on bank holidays and Sundays are about the same. To apply the same logic to traffic restrictions would seem pretty reasonable to me.

Parking on bank / public holidays has been free in the city centre for many years and when charging started in the peripheral parking zone, it just followed suit. Nothing to do with whether or not they charge on Sundays (they do now in the city centre but not in the peripheral parking zone).

 

Many years ago, when the original decision not to charge on bank / public holidays in the city centre was taken, there was probably very little commercial activity or traffic in the city centre on those days and very few people actually lived in the city centre, so it may have made sense to the politicians (who take these decisions) not to bother charging. Nowadays it's rather different.

 

Decisions to give free parking are taken for many reasons, but traffic conditions aren't normally one of them.

 

Do you think Councillors decided to give free parking on the three Saturdays running up to Xmas because traffic conditions would be light?

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Parking on bank / public holidays has been free in the city centre for many years and when charging started in the peripheral parking zone, it just followed suit. Nothing to do with whether or not they charge on Sundays (they do now in the city centre but not in the peripheral parking zone).

 

Many years ago, when the original decision not to charge on bank / public holidays in the city centre was taken, there was probably very little commercial activity or traffic in the city centre on those days and very few people actually lived in the city centre, so it may have made sense to the politicians (who take these decisions) not to bother charging. Nowadays it's rather different.

 

Decisions to give free parking are taken for many reasons, but traffic conditions aren't normally one of them.

 

Do you think Councillors decided to give free parking on the three Saturdays running up to Xmas because traffic conditions would be light?

 

So when the decision was made years ago not to charge for parking in town on Sundays, presumably it was for the same reason they didn't bother with charging on bank holidays?

 

Regarding decisions on parking charges and traffic restrictions they are linked in a way though aren't they? Isn't it all dictated by a wish to manage use, based on demand (for road space, for parking spaces)? Demand is driven by how many people are going about their business, traveling to work, to schools, to shopping and leisure. I would think that conditions on a Sunday are pretty darned similar to bank holidays, unless you know something different?

 

The free parking in the run up to Xmas is a complete red herring. Wasn't that to encourage more shopping rather than to manage demand for all day parking? It makes no sense to throw that curveball into the mix.

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So when the decision was made years ago not to charge for parking in town on Sundays, presumably it was for the same reason they didn't bother with charging on bank holidays?

 

Regarding decisions on parking charges and traffic restrictions they are linked in a way though aren't they? Isn't it all dictated by a wish to manage use, based on demand (for road space, for parking spaces)? Demand is driven by how many people are going about their business, traveling to work, to schools, to shopping and leisure. I would think that conditions on a Sunday are pretty darned similar to bank holidays, unless you know something different?

 

The free parking in the run up to Xmas is a complete red herring. Wasn't that to encourage more shopping rather than to manage demand for all day parking? It makes no sense to throw that curveball into the mix.

Traffic wardens cost extra money on bank holidays and Sunday's, automatic tram gate cameras on the other hand don't get paid and work round the clock.

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Tram gates and bus lane enfoecement is one big con. its all aimed at screwing motorists for as much as the scummy council can manage.

 

Bus lane, bus gate & tram gate enforcement is an additional tax that only a select few have to pay. It's great that motorist who abide by signage, the Highway Code and the laws of the road don't have to pay.

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I don't agree with the gates, but I don't see where the con is as the operation time's are clearly displayed and information available online. If this was not the case then yes a con, but read the signs and follow the actions then there's no issue! So don't quite see where the con is

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Why would you, or anyone else logically expect these restrictions not to apply at bank holidays? Do any other similar restrictions get suspended at bank holidays, here in the UK, or anywhere else in the world?

Logically, because the traffic on a BH is very light, much like on a Sunday for example, when restrictions often don't apply.

 

Why wouldn't you expect restrictions to be lifted on days when they serve no purpose?

 

Do you also think speed limits, one-way streets, double yellow lines, red routes etc etc shouldn't apply at bank holidays?

Are they lifted on Sundays? No. So obviously not.

 

---------- Post added 27-01-2016 at 09:02 ----------

 

The tram does run on Bank Holidays - apart from Christmas day. ^^

 

It runs on Sunday as well, but the tram gate isn't restricted.

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Guest busdriver1
I don't agree with the gates, but I don't see where the con is as the operation time's are clearly displayed and information available online. If this was not the case then yes a con, but read the signs and follow the actions then there's no issue! So don't quite see where the con is

 

It becomes a con when you get caught.

Pay up and shut up. Since when has a bank holiday ever fallen on a saturday or sunday? Some people really need to think a bit more and moan a bit less.

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So when the decision was made years ago not to charge for parking in town on Sundays, presumably it was for the same reason they didn't bother with charging on bank holidays?

I wasn't around then so couldn't say, but in those days, there was no Sunday trading, businesses in the city centre were closed on Sundays and the only people who lived there were publicans and vicars. Consequently there would not be much demand for parking on Sundays in the city centre.

 

---------- Post added 27-01-2016 at 13:07 ----------

 

Regarding decisions on parking charges and traffic restrictions they are linked in a way though aren't they? Isn't it all dictated by a wish to manage use, based on demand (for road space, for parking spaces)? Demand is driven by how many people are going about their business, traveling to work, to schools, to shopping and leisure. I would think that conditions on a Sunday are pretty darned similar to bank holidays, unless you know something different?

 

Decisions to impose or change (ie increase charges or hours of operation) a parking "scheme" (like a city centre controlled zone for example) have to be done for what are normally termed good "traffic management related" reasons.

 

Demand management is generally accepted as a good traffic management realted reason. Charging for parking is a demand management measure.

 

On some bank / public holidays, larger shops are compelled to close, see: https://www.gov.uk/trading-hours-for-retailers-the-law but they can open on any Sunday, so I would say that no, traffic conditions / parkng demand in the city centre on bank / public holidays can't realistically be said to be the same as a typical Sunday.

 

---------- Post added 27-01-2016 at 13:10 ----------

 

The free parking in the run up to Xmas is a complete red herring. Wasn't that to encourage more shopping rather than to manage demand for all day parking? It makes no sense to throw that curveball into the mix.

 

You were making the contention that free parking is linked in some way to demand for parking. That is demonstrably not always the case.

Edited by Planner1

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Traffic wardens cost extra money on bank holidays and Sunday's, automatic tram gate cameras on the other hand don't get paid and work round the clock.

 

Good point.

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Logically, because the traffic on a BH is very light, much like on a Sunday for example, when restrictions often don't apply.

 

Why wouldn't you expect restrictions to be lifted on days when they serve no purpose?

My point is that only paid for parking restrictions are (in some places) normally lifted on bank / public hiolidays.

 

Other restrictions are not and never have been, so why would anyone reasonably expect them to be?

 

The bottom line is that to change a restriction like a bus lane to not operate on bank holidays would be difficult and expensive. I can't think of a way of legally signing it in a way that would be enforceable, so my thought is that it would not be possible.

 

The current arrangments are consitent and easily understandable. Paid for parking might be free on a bank / public holiday and there will be information on the pay and display machine or car park tariff board which will tell the motorist whether it is or not. (and on the Council website if people want to check in advance)

 

Everything else applies on the days and times stated on the signing. Simple, easily understood by all.

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I wasn't around then so coudln't say, but in those days, there was no Sunday trading, businesses in the city centre were closed on Sundays and the only people who lived there were publicans and vicars. Consequently there would not be much demand for parking on Sundays in the city centre.

 

---------- Post added 27-01-2016 at 13:07 ----------

 

 

Decisions to impose or change (ie increase charges or hours of operation) a parking "scheme" (like a city centre controlled zone for example) have to be done for what are normally termed good "traffic management related" reasons.

 

Demand management is generally accepted as a good traffic management realted reason. Charging for parking is a demand management measure.

 

You were making the contention that free parking is linked in some way to demand for parking. That is demonstrably not always the case.

 

Haven't you just contradicted yourself here? So traffic and parking management are both related to managing demand. But parking management isn't related to demand?

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Traffic wardens cost extra money on bank holidays and Sunday's, automatic tram gate cameras on the other hand don't get paid and work round the clock.

 

Not all bus and tram gate/lane cameras are automatic. Sheffield have a mixture.

 

The Council's civil enforcement officers work on Sundays. Paid for parking is not the only restriction they enforce.

 

---------- Post added 27-01-2016 at 13:27 ----------

 

Haven't you just contradicted yourself here? So traffic and parking management are both related to managing demand. But parking management isn't related to demand?

 

Decisions to give free parking (ie relax an existing restriction) often aren't linked to demand, as we have discused earlier.

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