FOR too long, motorists have been taken advantage of. 

Whether it is being fleeced by petrol retailers over fuel costs or suffering at the hands of ever-rising car insurance prices, it feels it has never been more expensive to be a driver.

And now it appears Bucks Council is looking to exploit motorists further by pushing ahead with a raft of unjust measures which include charging for parking in the evenings, bank holidays and weekends – and forcing drivers to pay ‘digitally’.

While on the face of it, the move to phase out cash seems progressive, but it is anything but. It discriminates against many people in our society and makes the false assumption that everyone has a smartphone and the will to pay for things with card. This is a lazy exercise from the council who failed to consult the community properly. 

It is our view that Bucks Council must pause on this unjust rollout and carry out a thorough public consultation about the impact of such changes while consulting charities like Age UK.

As we reported last week, the authority has already rowed back on one disastrous parking policy by pledging to replace its faulty new machines in Amersham. The cashless machines were forever breaking down and left motorists in despair, according to a group of campaigning councillors (see Letter of the Week, right). The cost of installing, removing and replacing these messed up machines is not yet known but it is unlikely to be cheap. 

In separate parking news, the council is pressing ahead with new parking charges which will come into effect in September. The authority said will have to start charging for evening, weekend and bank holiday parking due to ‘financial pressures’.

It is not right that the motorist should shoulder the burden for the council’s mismanagement. Like businesses in the private sector, the council must cut its cloth accordingly and look at what in-house efficiencies can be made first before punishing residents further.

A one per cent pay deduction of the authority’s highest paid employee (the chief executive who is on £240,000-a-year) would raise £2,400. Perhaps a start?