Motorists are becoming more enraged by soaring parking charges, a reduction in spaces and the disappearance of free parking. The RAC has also warned that the problem may intensify in the next few months. The RAC's Report on Motoring 2014 has painted a negative picture of parking in Britain, with motorists in the crossfire. The report shows that 80 percent of the motorists surveyed reported increased parking charges.æ Two thirds believe that parking restrictions have become more stringent whilst the actual number of available parking spaces has declined. 65 per cent of motorists reported that many parking spaces are too small for modern cars. The squeeze on motorists has led to two-thirds of drivers cutting the amount of driving they do. London motorists in particular have felt the pain of increased costs: 59 per cent had noted that their motoring expenses were now higher. Four in ten motorists believe that their local authority is using parking charge revenue to subsidise non-motoring expenditure elsewhere. RAC technical director David Bizley said: 'It's time for a reality check when it comes to parking in Britain. 'We have to find a happy medium between the desire of motorists to get to where they want to go, which our research shows is driven in part by inadequate public transport provision in many parts of the country, and the need to keep our towns and cities moving. 'Parking has always been an emotive issue for the nation's drivers _ whether that's caused by driving around city centres endlessly to find an elusive space, or a neighbour mindlessly blocking your driveway. 'So what is the solution? Britain's local authorities have undoubtedly got a tough job to keep a growing driving population happy while allowing our high streets to thrive and keep traffic moving, but they need to think and act boldly. 'We need transparency. Councils should be compelled to report where the money raised from parking goes _ giving drivers assurance that it is being ploughed back into road and transport improvements, rather than just plugging budget holes elsewhere.î The RAC Report on Motoring can be downloaded from here.
