Pete Owens wrote:pwa wrote:We have parked in the car park of the Princess of Wales Hospital about twenty times over the past week, visiting my Dad who is okay now but needed life saving care a few days back. Do you think people in our position should be paying to park?
Absolutely - just as you would be expected to pay the bus fare had you chosen a more sustainable form of transport.
It never ceases to amaze me that you are just as likely to encounter motorists special pleading on a cycle forum as you are in the pages of the D****y M**l.The Welsh public don't think that, which is why parking fees are being phased out at Welsh Hospitals.
Maybe the Welsh public does believe that spending NHS cash on subsidising motorists is a higher priority than say medical professionals or equipment.
To get to and from the hospital by public transport for us would involve two buses each way, and one of those is an hourly service. The journey might take an hour and a half each way. For five miles or so. My Mum is 83 and recently had a pacemaker fitted. Would you make her use the bus?
Most of us don't want to be visiting a hospital. It's something that coincides with families feeling low, possibly in crisis. And for those of us who are working, squeezing in hospital visits can be tiring even with a car. Every day is a logistical challenge, on top of concern for the sick family member, and going round to their home to check the post. Sustainable transport is low on our list of priorities right now.