Tuesday, August 05, 2008
The stress of parking
Interesting contribution to the debate on the scrapping of car parking charges in Welsh hospitals in today's South Wales Evening Post. In the letters page one person explains what happened when his mother tried to visit Morriston Hospital:
Most people were pleased when parking charges were scrapped by hospitals. However, parking that was once difficult is now next to impossible.Last week, my wife took her 87-year-old mother for a blood test and found cars queuing to get into car parks and every road packed, with many cars parked on yellow lines.
My wife could not leave her mother while she tried to park - neither could she take her with her because the distance she would have to walk could easily have been too much for her.
As we live in Morriston, she decided by 8.30am to return home. She made another attempt at 11am, and a third at 1.30pm. This time she was able to find a parking space.
This week, because her mother had a fixed appointment, she decided to go by taxi, which cost £3 each way.
Is it not time somebody did something to sort out the situation? Surely, some ground could be found within a mile of the hospital. Small buses could go to and fro, charging a reasonable amount similar to what shoppers going into town are charged.
Yes, the parking charge has been scrapped, but the amount of stress caused has greatly increased.
Obviously, there is still a substantial problem that needs to be addressed.
Most people were pleased when parking charges were scrapped by hospitals. However, parking that was once difficult is now next to impossible.Last week, my wife took her 87-year-old mother for a blood test and found cars queuing to get into car parks and every road packed, with many cars parked on yellow lines.
My wife could not leave her mother while she tried to park - neither could she take her with her because the distance she would have to walk could easily have been too much for her.
As we live in Morriston, she decided by 8.30am to return home. She made another attempt at 11am, and a third at 1.30pm. This time she was able to find a parking space.
This week, because her mother had a fixed appointment, she decided to go by taxi, which cost £3 each way.
Is it not time somebody did something to sort out the situation? Surely, some ground could be found within a mile of the hospital. Small buses could go to and fro, charging a reasonable amount similar to what shoppers going into town are charged.
Yes, the parking charge has been scrapped, but the amount of stress caused has greatly increased.
Obviously, there is still a substantial problem that needs to be addressed.
Comments:
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I have to attend Morriston Hospital regularly for blood tests and other check ups - possibly for the rest of my life. Parking was always awkward and expensive long term, and worrying if clinics over ran - as there were penalties being enforced for being over time on the tickets. It is far worse now it's free. One simple answer, before the change, would have been to issue a two hour daily ticket free with the appointments letters to out patients. Or even a small FIFTY pence charge for every two hours. Now the Car Parks make no money and parking is a nightmare. Actually I'm going down tomorrow for a blood test. Perhaps one of the farms opposite could open up a field with an honesty box. It makes you wonder what levels of intelligence are running this hospital and the NHS in Cardiff if they cannot even run a Car Parking system!
All I can say is I wish my worries were limited to spending three pounds taxi fares ... oh boy, would I be a happy guy.
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