I live and work in Manchester, UK. Most work days I run my wife into the centre of town and then drive back out to Salford Quays where I work. I also travel extensively around the UK to customer sites as part of my job. Now, it is well known that traffic is getting heavier and with that drivers are becoming more frustrated, leading to many other problems, but what I want to discuss is parking, waiting and loading.

Anyone noticed the number of cars, lorries and coaches that now quite happily block roads while they drop off, deliver or just wait around? If you didn't know, some time ago (2000?) parking offences became de-criminalised and the jurisdiction (sp?) for keeping our roads moving passed from the police to local authorities. What has happened is that local authorities now use this power simply to generate income and have passed the task on to private companies who just want to make money for themselves.

They do not have the inclination - nor, I believe, the power to 'move people on'. In the past a policeman or properly authorised traffic warden would see, for instance, a lorry off-loading in the wrong place at the wrong time and would empowered to get the driver to move there and then or face arrest. Not now. This morning alone I saw 3 major roads into Manchester reduced to one lane by delivery vehices. Parking attendants are not interested. It does not generate income for their private companies.

What is more the moneys generated for these private companies is not being put back where it needs to go - Into public transport to cut down the number of vehicles on the road and requiring parking space!

Point of this? Well, none really. Just fancied a rant on a quiet Thursday afternoon before having to pick my way between bread vans, brewery drays and swarms of coaches double parked while they load senior citezens just back from a show at the Lowry;-)

Anyone any idea how we can remedy this? Anyone interested?

Cheers

Dave the Gnome