Rugby’s MP Mark Pawsey secured a debate in Parliament last week to condemn the recent increases in parking charges at the Virgin operated multi-storey car park on Mill Road.
On the 5th September Virgin increased the daily parking rate by 50% from £6 to £9 and abolished the £4 off-peak rate.
During the debate Mark highlighted that it now costs more to park in the multi-storey car park for a day than it costs to buy a return train ticket to Coventry. Mark used the debate to call for car parking charges to be regulated in a similar way to rail fares to ensure that commuters are protected and treated fairly.
Following the price hike at Rugby Station, Mark worked alongside the Rugby Rail Users Group to bring the issue to the attention of Government Ministers, as well as raising his concerns with Virgin Trains.
During the debate Mark received cross-party support from Labour MP Jim Cunningham (Coventry South). Commuters at Coventry Station have also been hit by large rises in parking charges, introduced at the same time as the increases in Rugby.
Responding to the debate on behalf of the Government, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Transport, Paul Maynard MP, spoke about the importance of investment into the rail network including in car parking facilities. The Minister pledged to bring the concerns of Rugby residents to the attention of the rail operators.
Speaking after the debate, Mark said:
“The recent increase in parking charges came as quite a shock to myself and Rugby residents. Virgin gave less than a months’ notice ahead of the changes which saw them hike their daily parking rate by 50% to £9. Following the announcement in August I met with representatives from the Rugby Rail Users Group, who campaign tirelessly for improved services at Rugby Station, and I will continue to work closely with them on such issues on behalf of local residents in the future.”
Mark concluded:
“I believe that as part of an integrated approach towards our transport network it makes sense to consider including the parking charges at stations in the franchise agreements for companies such as Virgin Trains. We need to encourage the use of our railways to help reduce congestion on our roads and I sincerely believe that excessive parking charges at railway stations could be counter-productive to that aim. I hope that the Government will look at all available options for supporting rail users.”
Steph Clifford, Chair of Rugby Rail Users Group, commented:
“Rugby Rail Users Group (RRUG) was shocked at the 50% increase in the daily parking rate, and welcomes Mark's intervention.”