Wokingham, Woodley, Twyford and Wargrave to get free Christmas parking

[ChipbuttyG]

https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/readi ... _Jet4DqHV4

[OLDMAN]

WBC always do this but then again they own the car parks, the majority in Reading are owned by private concerns
A few years ago RBC did once try making it free in their owned ones and hoped the private ones would do the same, but that never happened
What did happen was congestion / fights etc with so many trying to use the free parking

It’s a bit like everyone complains about RBH having high charges, but that’s to try and stop commuters parking there and walking on into town!

[cnb]

Seems completely backwards to me. When demand is low - the rest of the year - is when the prices should be reduced to attract more shoppers. During peak Christmas shopping period demand for parking outstrips supply, and if that's happening they should be increasing prices.

[Fed-up]

The Wokingham offer is for the weekends only when people are probably attracted to the large shopping centres in Bracknell and Reading, for example. So it makes sense to try and attract people to Wokingham shops instead.

Would be interesting to see how much of a difference this makes to each area in the Wokingham Council area.

[cnb]

The Wokingham offer is for the weekends only when people are probably attracted to the large shopping centres in Bracknell and Reading, for example. So it makes sense to try and attract people to Wokingham shops instead.

But is the situation not the same at weekends throughout the year? Lots of people who live in Wokingham borough shop in Reading every weekend, don't they?

[Fed-up]

Yes this is the same situation as other times of the year, but there is big money to be made by shops, etc in the run up to Christmas. For some, this is when the yearly profit is mostly made, not in the rest of the year.

I'm not sure how many people shop in Reading every weekend. We certainly don't.

[ChipbuttyG]

It’s a bit like everyone complains about RBH having high charges,

You never did come back to me with places that have higher car parking charges than Reading. There can't be many. Even Westgate shopping centre in London is cheaper than the Broad St. Mall and The Oracle.

[OLDMAN]

https://www.sharetobuy.com/news/most-ex ... per%20hour.

[ChipbuttyG]

https://www.sharetobuy.com/news/most-ex ... per%20hour.

I see an anomaly there. They're all major cities or places that have a high level of tourism. They're not hum drum commuter towns that has little in the way of attractions. Like I said, there aren't many places more expensive than Reading to park.

I could park in the centre of London at Westfield for cheaper than the Oracle or Broad street Mall. Places such as WestQuay in Southampton are cheaper too.

[bert]

It's just market forces, isn't it? If people stopped parking in the Oracle or Broadstreet Mall, they'd charge less. The fact they charge what they do means people are willing to pay it - clearly lots of people want to come to Reading.

[ChipbuttyG]

It's just market forces, isn't it? If people stopped parking in the Oracle or Broadstreet Mall, they'd charge less. The fact they charge what they do means people are willing to pay it - clearly lots of people want to come to Reading.

Lots of people want to go to Westfield in London. It's cheaper.

[OLDMAN]

I suppose the simple question is –

If Reading is supposedly so unpopular and carparks supposedly so high in price, why are the carparks always full and cars queuing to get in every weekend?

[cnb]

Westfield in London. It's cheaper.

No it isn't. In some circumstances it's cheaper, but in others it's much more expensive. The Westfield prices appear to be designed to encourage commuter parking - the car park is so large that they can do that without such usage preventing access for shoppers. The Oracle appears to have set prices to discourage long stays, presumably to ensure that space is available for shoppers, most of whom don't stay long. Parking at Westfield in the evening, or a short stop (less than 4 hours) at any time, is significantly more expensive than the Oracle.

[cnb]

If Reading is supposedly so unpopular and carparks supposedly so high in price, why are the carparks always full and cars queuing to get in every weekend?

Exactly. There is a 'correct' price, and that's the price at which the car park is always just about full. To keep it that way you'd have to have pricing with much more variation through the day, but the fact that Reading's car parks are close to full much of the day, and over capacity at some times, suggests that the price is about right given the simple pricing model.

[chris_j_wood]

Perhaps this is how Wokingham Borough Council is funding it:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-b ... e-59506956

Good thing it isn't in Reading ...

[piwacket]

Perhaps this is how Wokingham Borough Council is funding it:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-b ... e-59506956

Good thing it isn't in Reading ...

sounds like a script from Monty Python.

… and if it had happened in Reading … what?

[KeithW]

Perhaps this is how Wokingham Borough Council is funding it:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-b ... e-59506956

Good thing it isn't in Reading ...

i imagine that's quite interesting legally, because it wasn't the owners who parked their cars on the DYLs, but the contractors.

[OLDMAN]

WBC did try and enforce the tickets but have since cancelled them as they knew in the wrong - but I've also heard one of the car owners is taking legal action for damage to his car

Should be interesting!

[OLDMAN]

Perhaps this is how Wokingham Borough Council is funding it:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-b ... e-59506956

Good thing it isn't in Reading ...

sounds like a script from Monty Python.

… and if it had happened in Reading … what?

It would be ammo for someone to moan about?

[ChipbuttyG]

Perhaps this is how Wokingham Borough Council is funding it:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-b ... e-59506956

Good thing it isn't in Reading ...

sounds like a script from Monty Python.

… and if it had happened in Reading … what?

It would be ammo for someone to moan about?

Yeah, we've got enough entrapment in Reading as it is. PS. I saw someone get caught again at the overly complicated train station drop off point by Vastern Road again last week.

[chris_j_wood]

West Berkshire adopting a different approach this Christmas. Instead of the free parking they have offered in previous years, this year they are offering free bus rides.

[OLDMAN]

Doesn’t exactly encourage anyone from ‘outside’ West Berkshire to use a bus then as you would need to drive there to get one!

[chris_j_wood]

Doesn’t exactly encourage anyone from ‘outside’ West Berkshire to use a bus then as you would need to drive there to get one!

According to the full gen on Reading Buses web site, you can make a return trip to Newbury from Reading for the price of a single from Reading to Calcot. Sounds a good enough deal to me.

[OLDMAN]

Yes, that's not too bad at all - but - what if coming from elsewhere?

[chris_j_wood]

Yes, that's not too bad at all - but - what if coming from elsewhere?

If you mean by changing in Reading TC, then obviously you will need to purchase tickets for your connecting buses to and from Reading TC. Although if you are coming from within the SimpyReading zone you would probably be better off buying a £4 all day ticket.

If you are coming from elsewhere, I think your options are pretty limited. Stagecoach operate an hourly service from Basingstoke via Kingsclere called 'The Link'. There is a hint in Reading Buses web page that other operators might be operating free services on those days, but I think you would need to check that with Stagecoach (good luck )

Other than 'Jet Black' and 'The Link', I'm not sure if there are any other buses into Newbury from outside West Berkshire. There might be some odd 'every second Thursday' type services, but if you are thinking of using one of them, I'd say fares are the least of your worries.

[chris_j_wood]

The other interesting thing about this is that several Reading town bus routes actually stray a little way over the West Berkshire border. So whilst this is billed as getting people to Newbury, it actually gives a saving for people wanting to go shopping in Reading, provided they board from outside the borough boundary. Essentially they will get free travel into town, but have to pay the SimplyReading single fare on the way home. The routes in question are:

1 west of Greenwood Road
2 south of the Cunning Man
15 west of Yew Tree Rise
16 west of Tring Road Shops
26 west of Swanholm Gardens
33 west of Warborough Avenue

[Jude]

Doesn’t exactly encourage anyone from ‘outside’ West Berkshire to use a bus then as you would need to drive there to get one!

Glass half empty..
Pretty damned good i think (and thank you Reading and Newbury & District Buses) for those already in West Berkshire (a pretty large area), and most definitely a step in the right direction, rather than free car parking which alienates those without cars or whom would just rather not use them, aswell as exacerbates the climate crisis and encourages Reading's roads and environment to become worse than they are anyway. About time stuff like this is tried. Bring it on in Reading
(By the way, saturday afternoons were possibly the worst when i did Deliveroo. Drivers who hardly ever drive here and don't know how the road system in the town works yet think they know better than someone who uses it for hours every day...)

The other interesting thing about this is that several Reading town bus routes actually stray a little way over the West Berkshire border. So whilst this is billed as getting people to Newbury, it actually gives a saving for people wanting to go shopping in Reading, provided they board from outside the borough boundary. Essentially they will get free travel into town, but have to pay the SimplyReading single fare on the way home. The routes in question are:

1 west of Greenwood Road
2 south of the Cunning Man
15 west of Yew Tree Rise
16 west of Tring Road Shops
26 west of Swanholm Gardens
33 west of Warborough Avenue

Not sure how the drivers would be when you stay on the bus across the border into Reading though.. Needs clarification, or maybe it will be up to their discretion... or just try it
Did think we could have a free trip from the edge of Tilehurst to Calcot or Purley for a different dog walk.. but that would go against the spirit of the scheme, and may risk its financial liability and any future implimentation, so maybe not...

It’s a bit like everyone complains about RBH having high charges,

You never did come back to me with places that have higher car parking charges than Reading. There can't be many. Even Westgate shopping centre in London is cheaper than the Broad St. Mall and The Oracle.

Oldman's point may have been that RBH charge 'market' rates, which have been decided by the private companies running the other carparks?

[ChipbuttyG]

You mean RBC

[Jude]

No, i mean RBH, so that people don't park there to walk into town.
But yeah though, RBC's carparks would be overloaded if they undercut the privateers, but maybe it would bring prices down (if that would be a good thing - i think maybe look at making public transport and cycling more attractive first..)
Anyway, why should any price reduction HAVE to start with RBC? Why do the privateers get away without critisism from you?

[ChipbuttyG]

No, i mean RBH, so that people don't park there to walk into town.
But yeah though, RBC's carparks would be overloaded if they undercut the privateers, but maybe it would bring prices down (if that would be a good thing - i think maybe look at making public transport and cycling more attractive first..)
Anyway, why should any price reduction HAVE to start with RBC? Why do the privateers get away without critisism from you?

The Labour run council moan about the Government and that working class people are feeling the pinch, then what do they do? Put up council tax and car parking charges (making the Broad St. Mall more expensive than The Oracle).

[OLDMAN]

Broad St Mall is run by NCP not the council!

[cnb]

Broad St Mall is run by NCP not the council!

It hasn't been run by NCP for over 3 years. Even when NCP were the operators, I think the charges were still set by the council.

[Fed-up]

The following car parks have been run by the council since Oct 2018, according to https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news ... fs-coming/ -

Broad Street Mall
Queens Road
Cattle Market
Dunstall Close
Recreation Road
King’s Meadow
Chester Street
Civic B

[OLDMAN]

My bad, forgot they got taken back - but I do remember when NCP took many over in the town and prices increased two-three fold overnight and there were a lot of complaints (I was one at the time) but RBC said its wasn’t them as all gone private!