A MOSSLEY councillor has called on Tameside Council to temporarily waive car park charges on the Market Ground to help ease congestion while the George Lawton Hall is used as a Covid-19 vaccination centre.
Cllr Tafheen Sharif believes making the car park free would prevent Stamford Street becoming gridlocked when motorists often double park while they drop off and collect those being vaccinated.
She explained: “I have had people say that parking can be a nightmare and I have directed them to the Market Ground car park.
“Technically it still is a chargeable car park – I don’t know if the meters are working or not at present – but I have put in a request that it is waived during this period.
“I’m not sure it will happen as it could set a precedent for other car parks around the borough, but I have asked.”
Mossley resident Derrick Evans, founder of the charity Cancer Warriors, also brought the issue to the attention of The Correspondent.
He said: “Something desperately needs to be done as it is dangerous.
“Sometimes you get double parking on both sides of the road when people are either dropped off or collected from being vaccinated.
“When there is double parking, buses and other large vehicles can’t get past so have to stop and wait. That causes the traffic to back, sometimes back past the Co-op.
“It is crazy that this is happening when yards away there is a big car park that is rarely used.”
Derrick added motorists double parked on Stamford Street before the George Lawton Hall was used as a vaccination centre.
He said: “They would park, and still do, while they dashed into a shop.
“The problem is that due to Covid often only two people are allowed in a shop at a time so it takes longer to be served and they are therefore parked for longer.”