No Time Limit On The #PerthLoveFest

Picture the scene – you’ve just enjoyed a super tasty lunch in one of Perth’s many, many fine eating establishments when the waitress clears your main plates and invites you to look at the dessert menu. Now, you’ve had your eye on the chocolate fondant and you know it would wash down perfectly with a double espresso but tick tick tock; the parking is almost up and you have to decline.

Or there you are, wandering round town when you spot the most perfect pair of strappy heels singing your name out from their spotlight in the shoe shop window.  You’re about to step into the shop when you check the time and realise that today is not your day; you have to make a move!

Time restricted parking has to be one of the most ridiculous concepts known to man. Who honestly thought that sending people hurtling out of a city centre was a good idea? I’m sure, like me, you find that more and more you are time-poor.  So when I hit the town ready to shop the last thing I want is someone telling me to hurry up! I eat, sleep and breathe deadlines at work. I want to chill, relax, browse, have a dessert, order more tea and try on those gorgeous strappy heels!

I know I’m not alone in this and I certainly know that the business owners of our small city are crying out for the entire experience to be made easy, stress-free and enjoyable.  I chat to these wonderful Perth independents and chain store managers about all the good stuff and also the frustrations that they have as small business owners in the midst of tough economic times.  Parking is the one constant that comes up time and time again.

It would seem our local MP, Pete Wishart, is hearing the same chat as he has decided to launch a campaign, asking the council to look at Pay on Exit Parking throughout the city centre car parks.  Here’s what he had to say about it when I caught up with him for a coffee.

“When I look around the city and see that the maximum stay is restricted to a ‘maximum three hours’ it frustrates me. We should be encouraging people to stay a minimum of three hours! We want visitors and locals alike to enjoy the shops, cafes and businesses without constantly having to clock watch on their way round. 

Pay on Exit makes sense to me and I’m campaigning to get all council owned city centre car parks changed to this within a 12 month period.”

Now I like Pete, but he is a politician so I do want to know what ‘Council Owned Car Parks’ means! 

“Well, Mill Street Car Park is privately owned but all the others are council owned.   Mill Street Car Park and Multi Storey both let you pay on departure. What I’m hoping is that we can get the council to agree to change their policy. I think we need to be considerate of city congestion so this will be car parks only and not on-street parking.  There isn’t actually a capacity issue in Perth, there’s just a policy issue.”

Now, I’m a bit worried. Because this is where the infamous Perth chat that goes something like…. ‘Oh, the library’s a bit far out’ and ‘I like George Street - South Inch Car Park is too much of a hike’ …comes into play!  For some bizarre reason we have all convinced ourselves that slap-bang in the middle of town is the only reasonable option for parking.  But just imagine; if you choose to park just a five minute walk from the High Street you will never have to check your watch again… shopping sent from heaven!

Pete proposes that Pay On Exit is trialled at the South Inch Car Park very soon, an assessment is drawn up and then the remainder of car parks are rolled out within a 12 month period.  (Very soon, I’m assured, means within the next two to three months).  

I can’t help thinking that this is a no-brainer. Why wouldn’t you make it easy for people to stay longer, enjoy more and have a lovely, relaxed time in Perth City Centre?  I know there are several retailers who will be cheering out ‘About Time’ when they read this and as a passionate promoter of all things Perth I am delighted that this is finally upon us. And not just because I always want dessert.  

The face of retail is changing in ways we could never have imagined ten years ago; I watched a great interview on Sky News after the horror story that was Black Friday and in this some experts talked about all of us having to take responsibility about our city centres. It talked about you and me making choices about shopping good-old-fashioned bricks and mortar as well as web; it talked about retailers looking to enhance the experience and break down barriers that make shopping tricky or a chore and it talked about local authorities looking into how and why we choose to come and enjoy a day in town.  If we genuinely love our city centres then all of this has to come together in order for it to survive.

Think how much has changed in these ten years? Now, imagine what could happen ten years from now if we don’t sit up and take action. Rows and rows of androgynous High Streets, all the same, all without character or personality. 

I'd say that here in Perth we're better than this; we can work together to make our city centre a place of vibrant, small shops that people enjoy and want to spend time in. A true #PerthLoveFest!

If you’d like to see Perth change its main car parks to Pay On Exit, please do leave your comments for Pete here. He'll do his best to reply to you!