South Wales Evening Post - 12 March 2007
Hundreds of council staff could be stripped of their free parking permits under proposals to reduce traffic in Swansea.
While thousands of commuters have been encouraged to use one of the city's three park and ride schemes, councillors and staff are handed city centre parking worth more than £1,300 a year. Around 800 permits are handed out each year, but staff could soon face the loss of their tax-free perk as part of a council-wide travel plan.
Charges for parking spots at County Hall and the Guild Hall could be introduced, although any fees would be well below market rates. Top earners at Swansea Council would be asked to pay just £200, while the lowest paid would have to stump up £100 per year.
Swansea's head of transportation Anthony O'Sullivan said: "The fact that things are changing around us means the impetus to have a working travel plan has increased. Most noticeably there's a significant parking problem around the Guildhall.
"At County Hall we're aware that the changes to create the civic centre will bring increased pressure on parking. We are expecting a couple of thousand visitors every day and the builders of Meridian Quay say that at the peak of construction they will have 350 people on site.
"We have agreed to lease 80 parking spaces in Paxton Street car park to them. There has been a need for us to bring a travel plan forward very quickly.
"We have Park and Ride on three approaches to the city and we're encouraging that for commuters and staff."
Paxton Street Car park has been identified as a prime site for redevelopment and could go altogether. Mr O'Sullivan is keen to have any travel plan in place before it is sold off.
More than 1,000 council staff have already registered for a car sharing scheme.
Mr O'Sullivan said staff could expect unlimited bus travel in the county for around £10 a week after a deal was negotiated with First Cymru.
