ONCE again Northallerton’s parking and traffic problems are in the news, with the extra parking needs of the new Police headquarters succeeding the perennial controversies over the Lowgates crossing and parking charges in the town (D&S Times, Mar 10). Your leader writer agonises ineffectively over the problem.
There is another dimension to the issue. Northallerton is very fortunately placed for rail connections (compare Richmond for example) but its local public transport services are abysmal. It is simply not sustainable, for the town, for the planet or indeed for many of the people who want to work or shop in Northallerton, to assume that every individual will own and use a car.
The county council has been cutting public transport services across North Yorkshire without apology since 2010.
There are for instance just three services a day between Richmond and Northallerton, the two main towns in the constituency. How can anyone be expected to travel to work or to education on such a basis?
This policy impacts especially on the young, the old, the sick, on women and, of course, on people with low incomes. I doubt it inconveniences many of the Conservative group on the county council.
It is well publicized that some bus services have been kept going through charity and voluntary service and this seems to be a matter of pride to our MP and the Conservatives rather than a matter for shame and apology.
Rishi Sunak MP, Ukip and the Taxpayers’ Alliance will say that public services have to be cut and the so-called free market will do the job more efficiently. The so-called free market is very good at some things, like providing coffee shops and supermarkets, but not so good at others – the dairy industry and the housing market are hardly great adverts for the benefits of neoliberal free market ideology.
Some things are better provided collectively through the public sector and public transport (like public health) is one of them.
The responsibility for this lies squarely with North Yorkshire County Council and it is high time there was a grown up discussion in that forum about how this chronic situation can be tackled and resolved.
RD Hildyard, Colburn
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