Residents of the area surrounding the Weston General Hospital in Uphill are angry because of the hospital’s parking charges. Ever since the hospital decided to charge both visitors and staff for parking, they noticed that more and more people park their car in the nearby village. The residents have had enough of it and started a petition.
People who visit the hospital park for free for the first half an hour. Up to one hour parking costs £2 and £4 for stays over two hours. Visitors of the hospital must think that ‘the best parking is free parking,’ as they don’t mind having to walk for a few minutes in order to avoid having to pay.
Residents of Uphill say that since the hospital decided to charge people for parking, there’s been a real problem in the village: People park their cars in front of driveways and garages and they leave no room for large vehicles to pass. Trucks have to ride across the pavement because of parked vehicles on the side of the roads. It seems like visitors of the hospital don’t care about the people who live there, as long as they can park their car for free.
People living in the village have launched a petition as a way to gain attention for the problem. They have spoken to the city council about the possibility to implement parking permits, which could be handed out to the residents. This would mean that only residents are allowed to park in the streets – not visitors of the hospital.
A council spokesman said that the city, in cooperation with other parties like the police and the hospital, is looking for a suitable solution to this problem. But what would this solution be?
Story via The Weston Mercury
