Yet another parking camera in Atlantic Road!

[andygeorge]

Excuse me all, while I have a rant...

WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON!!!! DOES ATLANTIC ROAD NEED YET ANOTHER PARKING CAMERA? ARE LAMBETH TAKING THE PISS OR WHAT? DON'T THEY RAKE IN ENOUGH MONEY WITH THE OVERDOSE OF PARKING CAMERAS ALREADY? AAAAARRRRGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!......that's better, I needed that..

Ok, I,ve calmed down a little bit now, but they really do my head in. As I've said before in other threads, the small businessman in Brixton is being shafted left right and centre by Lambeth Council. As someone who has been serving the local community since 1969, the final nail in the coffin has now been served by Lambeth with the introduction of another Parking camera outside Ichiban, on the junction of Atlantic Road/Vining street. I can't see me, or many other businesses in Atlantic Road, surviving for much longer...

Can anyone tell me how we are to compete against the large superstores when every obstacle is put in our path?

Since the introduction of the parking cameras in Atlantic Road, between Brixton Road and Coldharbour Lane, there has been a dramatic drop in business, due to lack of customers. Now the same will happen in the bit between Coldharbour Lane and Railton Road. Ok, I know that a lot of you will say:-
'tough titty, they should'nt park on a yellow line, they deserve a ticket, these selfish drivers block the roads, they should be shot..blah blah',
but, hey, get real...we are here to provide a service and some of us who have been here for so long are trying to preserve and maintain the 'traditional feel' of Brixton. What do Lambeth want? All the grocers/butchers/corner shops out? So then in come all the 'trendy' bars/pubs/eateries.....great during the evening, but a ghost town in the daytime........

Let me put my side across and then you can all shoot me down in flames...

1) Why is parking so heavily restrictive in Brixton, especially in Atlantic Road?
2) How are we to compete against the superstores?
3) Why are the public deemed criminals, just for being motorists?
4) Can anyone justify the saturation of parking cameras in Atlantic Road?
5) Why has a yearly business permit to park in a business bay gone up from
£250 to £495?
6) why am I forced to pay over £1000 a year to have my rubbish collected, told I must have a wheely bin and then threaten to fine me for not keeping it inside the shop? (It don't fit!) And then threaten to fine me for leaving rubbish beside the bin...rubbish left by the public, that is...
7) How can I load/unload legally during business hours?
8) Why is it that the traffic system is geared towards allowing cars to drive through Brixton, not actually geared towards allowing cars to park in Brixton legally? And before anyone says 'there's a big car park in Popes Road'...would you let your wife/daughter park there? It's a pigsty and dangerous...
9) Why are Parking Attendants called Parking Attendants? They don't attend to my parking..
10) Has anyone actually tried to approach Lambeth Council, be it over the phone or in person, and managed to have a conversation with anybody who can give you an answer to your question?

....ok..enough, my brain hurts and I'm going to have a lay down...

[Donna Ferentes]

A parking camera will close down your business?

:rolleyes:

[andygeorge]

A parking camera will close down your business?

:rolleyes:
No sir, not a parking camera...parking cameras, ie more than one,two,three, just in Atlantic Road/restictive parking for potential customers/total apathy from Lambeth towards local business needs/saturation of over zealous Parking Attendants who treat people like shit.....

[OpalFruit]

I completely understand your concerns about loading/unloading, but don't the majority of shoppers for small shops shop on foot?

I use the market and small shops in the area you are talking about, and I would never dream of taking a car there - too much traffic, too many jams, and if parking were allowed, there is so little room, you'd never find a space!
And the 322 bus, which surely brings lots of shoppers to Atalantic rd, is impossible if it gets stuck in parking and traffic.

When parking was allowed in Atlantic rd, the majority of spaces seemed to be taken up with huge mercedes, driven by people who were just hanging out for the chat with freinds in the hairdressers.

Sorry if this is completely wrong, but I am surprised to hear that shopper parking is such a huge problem for small shops. Also, I am in support of the independent businesses and retailers in Brixton - not trying to be obstructive, I promise you.

How do Argos manage? Surely lost of items bought from Argos are too big / heavy to carry on the bus?

[lang rabbie]

Whatever happended to the plans for extra loading bays in Atlantic Road, mentioned in Andy's previous thread (http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=92328&page=1&pp=25) :confused:

[Mrs Magpie]

I used to scoff at the troubles of motorists especially over matters of parking, until I accompanied Ms T to the Lambeth Parking 'Shop' when she needed to get a temporary permit for a workman's vehicle outside her house. It was an infuriating enough operation to have caused Bishop Desmond Tutu to headbutt the man issuing the permits. Even Mother Theresa would have sworn.

[tarannau]

I used to scoff at the troubles of motorists especially over matters of parking, until I accompanied Ms T to the Lambeth Parking 'Shop' when she needed to get a temporary permit for a workman's vehicle outside her house. It was an infuriating enough operation to have caused Bishop Desmond Tutu to headbutt the man issuing the permits. Even Mother Theresa would have sworn.


I've been fairly lucky in that place if I'm honest, although the form filling bureaucracy for your parking scratchcards is more than a little wearing. And once an argument starts up, the queue just seems to grow to somewhere far away in Stockwell as the remaining staff and customers stop to gawp.

Fortunately - as with most things in Brixton - it tends to be empty earlyish in the morning. Well worth avoiding the hassle by rumbling out of bed early.

:)

[citydreams]

I think TfL is well aware of the double quandry of trying to keep traffic moving as well as allowing loading and unloading. It is an area that is getting a lot of attention at the moment, and plans are afoot to bring about a change in restrictions as part of an overall Road Plan.

The number of vehicles on the roads has decreased but traffic speeds are still falling, and it is due to get worse in the coming years as work starts on Cross Rail and various other initiatives.

It is well worth getting in touch with the council and presenting your case for relaxed restrictions at a time of day that is consistent with the needs of other businesses in your area. You need to talk to the Traffic Manager. The council must have one as part of the Traffic Management Act (mention this act carefully, as the councils are still trying to work out their responsibilities)

[pogofish]

How do Argos manage? Surely lost of items bought from Argos are too big / heavy to carry on the bus?

Many of the larger items from Argos are "home delivery only"

[lang rabbie]

Just discovered that Lambeth Parking has launched a new web page (http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/Services/TransportStreets/Parking/CCTV.htm), linked to a map(PDF) (http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/46884465-1FDE-4882-9D78-E58AE4F73BA5/0/Borough_Map_Cameras_No.pdf) of all enforcement cameras in the borough (apart from the congestion charging ones). It gives their times of operation for both bus lane enforcement and other parking offences.

This story (http://icsouthlondon.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0400lambeth/tm_objectid=15934776%26method=full%26siteid=50100%26headline=revealed%2d%2d%2d%2d%2dwhere%2dthe%2dtraffic%2dcameras%2dhide%2dout-name_page.html) must have been in Tuesday's hard copy of the SLP

A council statement said: "The cameras are in place to help us enforce traffic measures, which is improving the reliability and punctuality of public transport and helping to reduce congestion and pollution in the borough.

"Traffic regulations, such as rules around the use of bus lanes and parking restrictions, allow the council to manage traffic flow by giving certain groups of road users priority by excluding others at specific times.

"CCTV allows the council to monitor efficiently how well the regulations are working and fine people ignoring the regulations, which in turn leads to better traffic flow through the borough's road network."

[William of Walworth]

I used to scoff at the troubles of motorists especially over matters of parking, until I accompanied Ms T to the Lambeth Parking 'Shop' when she needed to get a temporary permit for a workman's vehicle outside her house. It was an infuriating enough operation to have caused Bishop Desmond Tutu to headbutt the man issuing the permits. Even Mother Theresa would have sworn.

That's an argument against the spectacular incompetence, inefficiency and bureaucracy habitually exhibited by Lambeth Council, not an argument against parking erm ... controls <tries to pick a neutral word, with immense difficulty> per se ....

People who whinge and whine about parking regulations restricting business, are probably very often the same people who show conspicuous indifference to their customers parking, with flagrant disregard of any regulations, in places <picks random example ;) > such as the red route bus lanes of the Walworth Road ;)

But those blatant law breakers, restricting other locals from getting home on the bus, on the bus and off the bus, are their selfish illegal car parking 'customers', so what they do at the expense of other potential customers coming home on the bus, is a matter not worthy of comment for these onesided 'businessmen' :rolleyes:

My main problem with Southwark Council, is their 'bureaucratic incompetence' ;) :D at not CRACKING DOWN on bus lane illegal parkers ....

OK you may not see a direct parallel there, angrygeorge and others, but you might want to think about it ....

[reubeness]

Parking controls gone mad - my road is closed at the moment due to road changes but parking gestapo are still putting tickets on the cars.
Forgive me if I am stupid but what obstruction do parked cars cause on a closed road?

[andygeorge]

That's an argument against the spectacular incompetence, inefficiency and bureaucracy habitually exhibited by Lambeth Council, not an argument against parking erm ... controls <tries to pick a neutral word, with immense difficulty> per se ....

People who whinge and whine about parking regulations restricting business, are probably very often the same people who show conspicuous indifference to their customers parking, with flagrant disregard of any regulations, in places <picks random example ;) > such as the red route bus lanes of the Walworth Road ;)

But those blatant law breakers, restricting other locals from getting home on the bus, on the bus and off the bus, are their selfish illegal car parking 'customers', so what they do at the expense of other potential customers coming home on the bus, is a matter not worthy of comment for these onesided 'businessmen' :rolleyes:

My main problem with Southwark Council, is their 'bureaucratic incompetence' ;) :D at not CRACKING DOWN on bus lane illegal parkers ....

OK you may not see a direct parallel there, angrygeorge and others, but you might want to think about it ....

Thanks for your observations William. You say.... "That's an argument against the spectacular incompetence, inefficiency and bureaucracy habitually exhibited by Lambeth Council, not an argument against parking erm ... controls <tries to pick a neutral word, with immense difficulty> per se ...." That's the point! It's Lambeth's spectacular incompetence, inefficiency and bureaucracy that has led to this shambles. It don't take a rocket scientist to see that a ONE-WAY system along part of Atlantic road would go a long way to easing the congestion, allow pay-and-display one side of the road and then your bus would chug along merrily to get you home in time for Corrie...
When Councils impose unreasonable and unworkable regulations to squeeze millions out of innocent people, with absolute disregard to the control of traffic, then yes I and other loyal customers who try to support Brixton's economy are selfish illegal car parking 'customers' and blatant law breakers.
Ask yourself...DO WE NEED 3 PARKING CAMERAS IN SUCH A SMALL STRETCH OF ROAD? Can it be right that a crackhead shooting up in a telephone box in broad daylight is ignored by these cameras, but a disabled driver who parks next to the telephone box for 5 minutes is fined £100? William, don't kid yourself that all these regulations, restrictions and gestapo tactics are there to keep the traffic flowing.
OPEN YOUR EYES to what is happening to Brixton next time you pass on that bus of yours...
I could go on and give you other examples, but I've had enough and am getting out of Brixton after nearly 40 years, beaten by a Council that don't give a shit and apathetic comments like yours....

[Larry O'Hara]

Mr George, I think you have a point.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear your local council has done a deal (eg with a supermarket chain) to build on the land vacated by the shops they are trying to get driven out of business. Its what's known as 'strategic planning'. ;)

[citydreams]

beaten by a Council that don't give a shit and apathetic comments like yours....

sorry. I don't buy that. THe councils have got a legal obligation to manage the traffic on their roads. If there is something amiss then take them up on it. As I posted earlier, they have a legal obligation to show how they are improving traffic.