Categories: uncategorized
Date: 17 June 2003 13:25:14
Thanks to those who have been wishing wife well. I reckon that she has recovered from her operation, but is extremely tired.
Several weeks ago, the powers-that-be in the University called a meeting to announce that they were planning to increase what they charge people to park their cars on campus. They were also planning to change the way that the charge would be applied. The acknowledged intention of these changes was to discourage people from driving to work. Also, the city council have been talking about introducing a congestion charge, also to discourage motorists.
I normally drive to work. I live out of town, so that I would be hit by both the congestion charge and the increased parking charge. I have been thinking about alternative ways to make the journey. Cycling would be just about possible, but arduous. The problem with using public transport is that the University campus where I work is on the edge of the city. It does not lie near a route from where I live to the centre of the city. Public transport has been prioritised to meet the requirements of those who work in the centre of the city.
Readers of this wiblog may remember that a few weeks ago, I left the car at home for a week, having purchased a ticket from the excellent people at One-Ticket, and tried to make the best of what the bus companies offer. The primary difficulty which I encountered was that the connecting bus, across the edge of the city, is infrequent.
This week, I am repeating the experiment. (The ticket also covered Sunday, so I enjoyed being able to travel in to the city centre for the events described previously.) Again, having to wait for this connecting bus is frustrating, especially because the route it takes is hardly optimised for my particular journey. Last night, I finally sent off the email to the University planners, pointing out to them the unfairness of imposing penalties on drivers without providing a decent alternative.
What should I receive in my in-tray this morning, but an email from our own Director, to say that the proposed changes to the parking charges have been abandoned (for the time being).