Park and ride charges will "penalise" locals in Fife
Last updated 24th Apr 2018
Proposed charges for two Fife park and ride sites are being branded a "punishment" for locals in Fife.
Fife Council is planning to introduce a daily rate of £1 to the Halbeath and Ferrytoll sites - meaning commuters could pay nearly £250 a year to leave their cars there.
The local authority has previously said the extra money will raise vital funding for cash-strapped services like social work and education.
Bus operator Stagecoach has already criticised the idea and now Fife Conservative Group Leader, Cllr Dave Dempster is calling on locals to object.
He says: “The Council can’t just start charging. It requires a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) and TROs are open to objectors. The TRO is out now.
"It says it is being promoted ‘in the interests of car park management’, which is council speak for ‘so we can penalise motorists for doing what we’ve asked them to do’.
"Objectors must be individually written to explaining why their objection is ‘unsound’ and inviting them to withdraw it.
"If enough of the public make their feelings felt, we’ll be able to test whether a committee would have the nerve to overrule a hundred or even a thousand objectors".