Giuliano Mingardo, Senior researcher Urban and Transport Economics at Erasmus School of Economics, was a guest on Nieuwsuur to talk about the issues surrounding paid parking.
Zones requiring paid parking in municipalities increased about a quarter. Prices, adjusted for inflation, rose an average of 14%. Introducing paid parking causes resistance and fierce discussions in municipalities. In addition, not all areas in a municipality have the same rates for parking. There is criticism of this from business owners, as they are afraid of falling behind compared to other business owners where parking fees differ. Residents, however, can often apply for a cheaper resident permit.
Mingardo is doing research on parking. According to him, paid parking is meant to help residents. There is a big psychological obstacle to going from zero parking fees to parking fees. After all, the car also means freedom for many people. However, Mingardo points out that space in the city is scarce and so it costs money. So the user pays for that through parking fees. Therefore, it is not meant to get in the way of residents or business owners but to help local residents. The goal is to regulate parking spots. Taking away spots is the only option to really have fewer cars, according to Mingardo. Business owners, by the way, need not fear, according to Mingardo. The level of parking fees does not affect the sales of stores. This is because the money we spend in stores is not too affected by the mode of transportation we use.
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Giuliano Mingardo is a senior researcher specialised in parking policy and urban mobility. The focus of his research is in understanding how people move in and around urban areas and how policy, spatial planning and the quality of the living environment can influence the mobility behavior of people.
You can watch the full video from Nieuwsuur, 15 September 2024, here.