YEP Letters: March 16

City centre parking woes motor on..

The commute chaos in Leeds city centre is set to motor on after the council opted to cut off parking meters in one of the city’s busiest areas. On-street parking meters in the Springwell Street and surrounding ares at Holbeck have been deemed out of order by the council due to vandalism. Now drivers have to download an app or pass their bank details via an automated phone message to pay for parking. It is being administered by third party firm - Parkmobile - which charges motorists 25p per day on top of the usual parking charges and say it is “for convenience” – despite there being no alternative for drivers whether they have the correct fee in cash or not. We asked YEP readers for their views and here’s what some of them said on social media..

Ruth Horsley

This is not just Holbeck. They are being brought in all over the city, and not only do you have to pay with a phone, before you walk away from your car, if you don’t log out when you return to your car, you will pay for a full day’s parking, and not the two hours you hoped for.

This system is yet another money-making scheme targeted to motorists.

Kathryn Woods

This has been going on for months now. No vandalism to the machines near where I park for work. Park Mobile is not convenient.

I’d rather use a meter and not pay the extra 25p every day.

Bian Barraclough

It’s not just Holbeck. It’s very confusing, they charge us a fortune and then make it difficult.

I suppose when they send the parking fines out they will do it with simplicity.

John Nugent

Always the same. I don’t drive but every time I walk past them at side of Crown Point they have been broken into. Trees opposite, so why they can’t put cameras up is beyond me.

Helen Broadbent

I work near Bridgewater Place and generally park on Water Lane or any streets near by, all the machines have been vandalised and I have to use the Parkmobile app every day now. It’s OK as long as the app doesn’t go down and you end up getting charged for the full day.

Emily Thorpe

Any Parkmobile adds 25p on. And when you’re getting charged around £1 an hour if not more, and are parking for a full day (up to 7 hours in my case) the 25p doesn’t really matter. £7.25 or £7, it’s not that critical, is it?

Nikki R Haldane Bevington

As a deaf person this really annoys me. I have enough difficulty talking to family members on the phone let alone a stranger whose voice I don’t know.

Amanda Jayne Turpin

This way of parking is becoming more common in Leeds. A few months ago we tried to pay by phone as directed behind Pratts on Regent Street. It took you all through a load of details and then said option unavailable. Same happened recently to my husband near the Parish church. What are you supposed to do then? We parked elsewhere.

Paul Dowgill

It’s the same with every Parkmobile location, if you use the app you pay a “convenience fee”. Surely it’s cheaper for you to use the app than for them to send someone to check tickets and collect cash?

Simone Boyd

I have used Parkmobile app for years. The number of times before that I overpaid a meter through not having the correct change or worried about not having paid for long enough are easily worth 25p a time.

Jayne Eyre

Park Square has been like this since Christmas. The sign claims that having to pay over the phone or via a mobile app is due to vandalism of the machines. To charge 25p for ‘convenience’ is a rip off. There is nothing convenient about trying to navigate your way around the Parkmobile app.

Murray Craigen

I parked in the city centre with Parkmobile. The rates were not displayed and I thought I’d get hammered, but no, once it was set up (glad it wasn’t raining) and despite still not knowing the cost, it was quite reasonable.

Claire Dennison

Machines were never vandalised that I saw. Just got full and not emptied, so lost money. Still cheaper if can get on street than in car park.

Josh Wilson

If you’re that bothered about 25p, park elsewhere or make alternative arrangements for transport so you’re not paying it.

Mark Gillman

Pay by phone is all over the country – I think it’s a great idea as I never have the right change.

Sonia White

They will be making thousands from the 25p convenience fee. It’s profit all the way.

Adrian McCluskey

This is also the case in the council-run car parks at the former International Pool site and the car park between the Playhouse and Quarry House (though the latter takes cash).

Paul Nutter

If the machine is out of order that’s the council’s problem, you cannot pay cash over the phone. It’s funny that there wasn’t much vandalism to pay and display machines before this system was set up.

NHS can never be perfect

D Angood, by email

Regarding YEP letters March 14 and the comments made about the NHS and doctors, it was interesting to note how figures play a role in both the negative and positive criticisms put forward.

Statistics have been used to the advantage of both sides of the argument as to how the NHS is failing. What is inherently clear is that the NHS can never be perfect. There will always be one fault or another that is highlighted in headlines to provoke debate.

The unfortunate result of such portrayal is the effect it has upon the staff first and foremost and to a 
lesser extent upon the patients.

The majority of people who have to make use of the NHS are full of praise, especially for the emergency staff and in regard of hospital stays.

In opposition to that are the many uncomplimentary remarks made about GPs and the arrangements regarding surgery appointments, home visits etc.

These seem, as Ms Baker (YEP Letters, March 14) states, to have fallen below what many patients would term as acceptable standards.

The practice of appointments limited to a set time (10 minutes max) seems to be of more import than the health issues of the patient, especially so if the patient has multiple issues.

Yes, I too remember the days when the GP was on call 24/7, ours once even came out to my son on Christmas Day.

The days when the doctor knew their patients, their illnesses and their problems. That devotion to the job has long since disappeared as surgeries, like hospitals, are now run akin to a business enterprise with practice managers having more influence than the doctors.

As Ms Baker says those days are gone but patient care has to have more priority than time.

I think a return to the time when a patient had to be patient at the surgery and the doctor was patient with the patient would benefit all.

Praise for the Grange Nursery

David Leathley, Krisztina Leathley, Amelia & Isabelle, by email

Our daughters Amelia and Isabelle have been attending the Grange Nursery in Allerton Bywater since March 2016, they are now aged two-and-three quarters and five..

We chose the Grange because of the homely feeling and rapport that the management and staff established on the introduction visits. The flexibility they offer in support of the families is second to none but above all our girls are happy.

Their development educationally and socially has been excellent even given the differing personalities of the girls. Every time we drop off or pick up there is a positive happy vibe from the children and staff. On top of the usual regular written reports Annette, her staff and her family hold an annual “parents feedback” BBQs that allows all the parents to get to know each other and see the children socialising, enhancing further the sense of a “family environment.

The one on one development discussions are invaluable. In a world that places so much emphasise on quantitative value it’s brilliant to see there is somewhere that values the qualitative benefits as well.

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