r/Glasgow Tools

> GCC waived parking fees, would people go out their way to drive into a miserable city centre to go shopping?

It's an interesting question, as it's a bit of a live policy discussion amongst cities across the UK.

Personally, I think they should always have charged for the parking.

To not charge from the beginning has given the impression that free parking (and driving more generally) comes with minimal external costs and impacts. Of course, it's private land so essentially up to the owner to do what they want. Local authorities could coerce them through legislation, on parking pricing anywhere within the local authority area.

They may have to do it, as you've got an imbalanced situation where city centre car parks charge for use (rightfully), but Silverburn, Braehead and The Fort are free. As the city attempts to make the city a more pedestrian friendly place, with less easy access for cars - which is the right thing to do - this imbalance becomes even more stark.

So I think it has to happen. At the same time I don't think it will solve things by itself. As you'd say, there's still the convenience factor, and people will generally still prefer to pay to park at a shopping centre than in the city if going shopping.

This needn't have been the case. If the parking cost imbalance had been tackled early, and greater pedestrianisation, greening and room for outdoor hospitality provided in the city centre much sooner (coinciding with the opening of the malls 20 years ago), the city would've stood a fair chance.

As it is, the imbalance is in place now. So, short of making the city centre a truly attractive destination, I'm not sure what can be done.