Evening car park charges are daylight robbery
Bedford Borough residents are being hit with new high cost evening parking charges — and a new flat‑rate fee is added on top of the daytime charge the moment the clock hits 8pm.
So if someone parks at River Street at 5.45pm and leaves at 8.15pm, they now pay £5 for up to three hours plus an extra £4 overnight fee — £9 in total for an evening that would cost just £5 during the day. Even a few minutes past 8pm triggers the full £4 charge, which has shocked and angered many residents.
Cllr Charles Royden, Bedford Borough Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson, commented,
“Parking after 6.00pm was free last year so these new charges are outrageous. After a 25% increase over the last two years, the Conservatives are now slapping residents with extortionate overnight charges that will strangle our restaurants, venues and evening economy. People are battling rising bills, yet town‑centre visitors are being milked like a cash cow to paper over financial mismanagement. We opposed these charges in November but they have gone ahead, enough is enough. These excessive evening rates must be scrapped as they will put our town centre venues out of business.”
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