Reduced parking charges – Lib Dem policy in action
Good news from today's RCT Council Cabinet meeting – there are to be reductions in parking fees in the main town centres of Aberdare and Pontypridd, whilst smaller town centres such as Tonypandy and Mountain Ash are to benefit from free parking.
Whilst we welcome this news there is a more cynical view which askes "why now?"
Welsh Lib Dems in RCT have been campaigning for this for years, but the Labour administration, with their usual arrogance and contempt for any opposition suggestions, have poured cold water on the idea. A quick look through past articles on this site will show that our opinion has remained unchanged for some time.
We carried out a survey in towns across RCT in early 2013 which showed then that traders overwhelmingly agreed that parking charges were harming our towns. The Labour response then was to actually increase charges by 7%.
Prior to that we had already identified the issue as of concern following discussions with traders, and had put a motion forward in September 2012 asking for a reduction.
Every time Cllr Mike Powell brought up the subject it was met with scorn from the ruling group. Yet at last they have seen the light and now agree with what we have said all along. There is only one thing we can see that has changed – it is election year and so they want to buy votes with giveaways after four years of taking services away, closing schools, day centres and libraries. Surely the public are not so easily fooled?
AberdareOnline would add
For the past 4 years we were informed by the labour run Rhondda Cynon Taf Council there was no money available and major cut in public services were necessary savings had to be made.
But then as election time approaches the RCT labour money tree start spurting cash after being fed with all the bullshit over the past 4 years it was paying off just before the local elections.
But are the people of Rhondda Cynon Taf that gullibly to believe this sudden bonanza of cash injection by the labour party just before an election?
