I WOULD like to know why the workers who help to keep Kidderminster town centre businesses open each day should be penalised over their parking, due to the inadequacies of council officials whose idea it was to cut so many car parking spaces.

We are gradually being squeezed out of remaining long term parking - although we pay for our places like everyone else - as more spaces are being made available for shorter term parking.

If we are eventually forced to park in Stadium Close, this could add up to an hour to a normal long working day, especially at night, taking a possible good half-hour to return to our cars before we can start our journey home.

My colleagues and I also work late evenings, well past the last park-and-ride bus, so how are we expected to return to our cars? Certainly not by walking through the underpass at night !

With shopping levels settling down at Tesco, their car park is often only half full, except in holiday times when more and more people are taking advantage of two hours free parking and going into town.

How long will it be before they prohibit this too, leaving so many spaces empty while we all struggle to cope with what is left?

Until a park-and-ride system of equal standard to Worcester is provided, with proper car park security and adequate buses, people will never be encouraged to use it.

Park-and-ride works well in large cities, but not in provicial towns like Kidderminster. It is obvious that the car is the life blood of such communities, and it should be evident to those in charge, that in recent times that lifeblood is being driven elsewhere, while ordinary public transport remains both expensive and inadequate.

V JONES

Stourport

(Full address supplied)