Guess what happened to the economy of a market town where the parking meters don't work?
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Loading... - CRISTIAN CASTILLO
- 16 Jul 2020
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Parking meters are essential to stop traffic from snarling up and driving people away from town, right?
Well, not entirely. In Cardigan, mid-Wales, all the parking meters have been out of action for about a month and something strange has happened.
Traders say that business is booming.
The pay and display machines in the town were wrecked by thieves and the council is now looking for £24,000 to fix them.
However, Martin Radley – chairman of Cardigan Traders (the town, not the clothing), said: ‘While we would never condone criminal activity, the fact remains that traders throughout town are reporting a rise in footfall since those machines were put out of action.
‘What we have now is a level playing field. People who have enjoyed free parking at supermarkets like Tesco and Aldi are finding they actually prefer going to small, independent shops, which offer goods of a far better quality.
‘We are finding people are staying longer in town and spending more money.’
He said that they’ve been pestering the council for years to lower parking charges, or make it free, and this is proof that it works. He added that people are more relaxed because they’re not clock watching all the time.
