There were two articles in The Crow of 16 July that I found particularly interesting and which are related by a common problem that we suffer in Royston. They were headed Yellow Lines Plan Still To Go Ahead and Parking Charge Cuts Had No Impact . The

There were two articles in The Crow of 16 July that I found particularly interesting and which are related by a common problem that we suffer in Royston. They were headed "Yellow Lines Plan Still To Go Ahead" and "Parking Charge Cuts Had 'No Impact'." The relationship is that they both directly and adversely affect the level of commuter on-street parking in residential and other areas of town.

Over the last year, new yellow lines were put down in a number of parts of town, ostensibly for traffic safety reasons. The end effect, however, though small, is that commuters and other non-residents, hitherto using these areas for their daily car parking, are now spilling more and more into on-street residential areas. Indeed, I could list a couple of areas in Royston that have more traffic during the week due to commuter parking than at the weekend, and I suspect there probably a lot more areas similarly suffering this blight.

It seems that the application of ANY parking charge at Shepreth and Meldreth stations has had a major detrimental effect on the behaviour of commuters parking up for the day.

- The station car parks remain mostly empty during the commuter day

- Commuters prefer to use on-road and residential areas around the town rather than pay a parking fee.

- The reduction from �2.50 per day to �1.00 per day made little or no difference to the behaviour pattern.

So, might we be not that surprised, with the parking charges at Royston station car park standing at a stonking �6.50 per day, and with reduced restriction-free on-street parking available due to yellow lining, that the streets of Royston are increasingly awash with the vehicles of commuters unwilling to pay the fee?

I observe with dismay every day that I commute to work, the extended parking facilities at Royston that have recently been completed, and the mere handful of cars that are using it. There are even free spaces all over the original parking area that was pre-extension.

Someone at First Capital Connect should really be more aware of the economics 'Law Of Diminishing Returns' and be less intent on ripping every last penny from the travelling public with no consideration at all for the residents of the town that they serve.

It would be good to know that North Herts District Council are working hand in hand with FCC in formulating parking strategies that are to the benefit, as opposed to the expense/detriment, of Royston residents rather than aimed at lining the pockets of both institutions. There's little evidence at this time that this is happening.

It will be interesting to see what response, if any, this letter gets from the parties involved - North Herts District Council, FCC and the residents of Royston.

John Benet

Rock Road

Royston