Half term discount parking in central London

Monday, February 8th, 2010

It seems that no sooner have the nation’s children been packed off to school than the half-term holidays come rolling around. For many working parents this presents a regular headache: taking time off work and keeping them entertained. With money tight, going away for the week isn’t always an option. This year many parents will be taking advantage of the attractions that the capital has to offer.

But in the wake of the tube strikes on February 14, traffic into Central London will be heavier than usual. And safe parking will be at a premium. That’s why we at 247 Parking will be offering a discount for the week February 15 to 19 for all new bookings in Central London.

“I have three children aged seven, three and two and struggling over to Kensington to visit the V&A, The Science Museum or The Natural History Museum on the bus or tube can be a nightmare. And I don’t want to think about getting back when they’re all tired! I have to drive,” says Helen Forrest, 33, of Wimbledon.

Fortunately as a 247 Parking customer, Helen has a regular space booked in the area where she works as an arts administrator.

“It’s a short walk from my parking space to the museums,” she says. “It’s one less thing about the day that I need to plan. I want to enjoy the time off that I spend with my children, not get wound up and angry worrying about where to leave the car.”

There probably isn’t a better place in the UK to find things to do, places to eat and sights to see than Central London. Having a pre-arranged parking spot takes a lot of the stress out of family outings as well as regular commuting.

Contact 247 Parking for further details of this limited offer.
NOTE TO EDITORS
24 7 Parking was established in late 2002 with the aim of becoming the leading marketing services provider to the car parking industry in the UK, and to be the leading de facto marketplace for buyers and sellers, or lessees and lessors, of car parking spaces.
The company is frequently consulted as an expert view on the parking sector by the media.
24 7 Parking is registered in the UK, and is wholly owned by its founding partners, management team and private investors.

Contact
Peter Cooper
0207 183 7274
http://www.247parking.com

Paying the price for parking

Monday, February 8th, 2010

While some UK local councils are raking in almost £7 million a year from parking tickets, hard-pressed business people commuting into Central London are paying around £500 on average every year in fines – and are now factoring this into their operating costs.

A survey of commuters carried out by the 247 Parking website found that people driving into central London not only have to pay the Congestion Charge but are increasingly forced to park illegally because of the sheer lack of street parking in central London. Parking tickets and wheel clamps for many have become an occupational hazard.

One London estate agent found herself in the unfortunate situation of getting six parking tickets in one day.

“I have to use the car for my work, showing clients around properties. Public transport just isn’t an option. The really annoying thing is that while I knew that I was parking in a risky place when I got the first ticket, every other time I was pretty sure I was parking legally. The final ticket I got after I had left the car for literally under five minutes,” says independent Estate Agent Monica Jenkins, 36, from Morden.

Some are even writing off the costs of parking tickets into their operating costs.

“Last year I paid around £700 in fines. I travel into Hammersmith regularly and parking is almost impossible. I’m afraid that I just accept parking fines as part of the cost of doing business in London,” says New Media Consultant Justin Webb, 36, of Maningtree.

With long-running engineering works set to affect the Northern Line, coupled with ongoing problems with commuter rail services, many people feel that they have no option but to drive into London. Strikes planned for February 5 and 14 will see a significant increase in road traffic into Central London.

A more affordable alternative to just living with parking tickets, however, is provided by 247 Parking. For over eight years 247 Parking has offered commuters and visitors affordable secure parking in or close to their destination.

“Some business travellers think that parking is too expensive and too difficult to arrange and are therefore prepared to risk getting parking tickets,” says 247 Parking MD Julia Callan. “We offer a really easy to use and cheap service that can save drivers a lot of grief as well as a lot of money.”

The survey of 1215 respondents breaks down as follows:

1. Have you parked illegally in London in the past 6 months?

Yes      76 per cent
No      24 per cent

2. How many tickets have you had in the past six months?

None     11 per cent
One     29 per cent
Under five    54 per cent
Five to 10    4 per cent
More than 10    2 per cent

3. Have you successfully contested a parking ticket in the past year?

Yes     13 per cent
No     87 per cent

4. How often do you take your car into central London?

Never     11 per cent
Once a year    13 per cent
Once a year to once a month 26 per cent
Once a month to once a week 28 per cent
Every day    22 per cent

5. How much did you pay in parking fines last year?

£0     12 per cent
Less than £50   9 per cent
£50 – £100    11 per cent
£100 – £400    23 per cent
£400 – £500    23 per cent
£500 – £700    21 per cent
Over £700    1 per cent

NOTE TO EDITORS

24 7 Parking was established in late 2002 with the aim of becoming the leading marketing services provider to the car parking industry in the UK, and to be the leading de facto marketplace for buyers and sellers, or lessees and lessors, of car parking spaces.

The company is frequently consulted as an expert view on the parking sector by the media.

24 7 Parking is registered in the UK, and is wholly owned by its founding partners, management team and private investors.

Contact
Peter Cooper
0207 183 7274

www.247parking.com

Valentine’s tube misery

Monday, February 8th, 2010

With a 24 hour tube strike set to hit on St Valentine’s Day February 14 2010, there isn’t a lot of love for either LUL or the RMT from London’s hard pressed commuters.  With the prospect of travel chaos at the weekend and start of the week, many people planning Valentine’s Day celebrations might be forced to put their plans on hold. But not customers of 247 Parking.

“We were planning to go out for a romantic night the day after Valentine’s Day. We’ve had a baby sitter arranged for weeks. We weren’t about to let anything spoil this. We know that parking is going to be chaotic on Sunday and Monday,” says Emma Morgan, of Brighton. “Fortunately I have a parking space reserved in the West End where I work. It means that my partner and I can enjoy a night out on Monday to celebrate Valentine’s Day without worrying about tickets or struggling back to Victoria to catch the over crowded and unreliable last train home. We’re having a meal at Hakkasan, our favourite Chinese restaurant, before going to see Legally Blonde at the Savoy Theatre.”

Chris Fowler lives in Redcar, drives into London every day and has a space reserved near his office on Euston Road.

“It has worked out brilliantly for me and my partner. When we heard about the strike we were initially a bit anxious. We’ve had tickets for Babyshambles at Koko for weeks and I’m so relieved that we don’t have to worry about leaving the car. All we’re worried about now is whether or not Pete Doherty will actually turn up to play the gig.”

And one customer that just HAS to find a space on Sunday is Dan Lane of Rochester, Kent.

“Even at weekends parking can be a problem. I’ve had tickets when I’ve parked in places that I was certain were free parking zones. And despite traffic being quieter, I’ve still driven for ages around Chelsea looking for a safe place to leave the car. Sometimes as much as an hour!
“I’m planning to propose this week. Given the things I’m going to have to worry about from now on, at least turning up late at my girlfriend’s flat because I couldn’t find a parking space isn’t one of them!”

247 Parking wishes Dan well and hopes that he gets the right answer when he pops the question.

NOTE TO EDITORS
24 7 Parking was established in late 2002 with the aim of becoming the leading marketing services provider to the car parking industry in the UK, and to be the leading de facto marketplace for buyers and sellers, or lessees and lessors, of car parking spaces.
The company is frequently consulted as an expert view on the parking sector by the media.
24 7 Parking is registered in the UK, and is wholly owned by its founding partners, management team and private investors.

Contact
Rachel Johnson
0207 183 7274
rjohnson@247parking.com

www.247parking.com

Keeping your car safe

Monday, February 8th, 2010

With thefts from parked automobiles on the up, some people will go to the wildest extremes to protect their cars. In South Africa where the crime rate is notoriously high, some owners have taken to leaving pythons in their cars to deter thieves. And from the US we hear that one Florida resident was recently fined for having a hungry alligator in his car. Here in London, of course, it seldom gets more unusual that a vicious dog or two.

As animal lovers, we at 247 Parking cannot condone leaving animals cooped up in parked cars to deter opportunists from snatching your sat nav or your stereo. As car owners we can’t recommend it because…well let’s just say that cleaning the interior could be a tad unpleasant.

Some common sense is needed. Remove everything from your car, even coats, and stick it all in the boot. Install a car alarm. Register with Immobilise (www.immobilise.com) the free register of possession ownership details and display a sticker on your windscreen. Get a steering wheel lock. But above all else, park somewhere safe.

We at 247 Parking have been providing safe, secure and affordable parking in Central London and nationwide for nearly eight years. We can find you space in car parks or in safe residential and commercial zones where your vehicle will be safe.

“It’s mad to risk your car or its contents by parking at random in an area you don’t know. We feel that by taking responsibility for our own cars and their contents, we benefit other drivers. Because if
there are no easy pickings for car thieves then they’ll soon give up,” says 247 Parking MD Julia Callan. “As anyone who has had their car broken into will tell you, the hassle of dealing with police,  insurance and repairs far outweighs the inconvenience of spending a few moments to hide your property and secure your vehicle. And the cost of a secure block-booked parking space far outweighs increased insurance premiums.”

NOTE TO EDITORS
24 7 Parking was established in late 2002 with the aim of becoming the leading marketing services provider to the car parking industry in the UK, and to be the leading de facto marketplace for buyers and sellers, or lessees and lessors, of car parking spaces.
The company is frequently consulted as an expert view on the parking sector by the media.
24 7 Parking is registered in the UK, and is wholly owned by its founding partners, management team and private investors.

Contact
Rachel Johnson
0207 183 7274
rjohnson@247parking.com

www.247parking.com

Cheap Parking In Kensington

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Anybody that works in and around our capital will be more than aware of the difficulties you can experience when finding parking in London.

Commuters into the city can find a significant amount of their daily commuting time spent hanging around in traffic queues waiting for a suitable London parking space to become free.

The temptation will invariably arise when you think about taking a risk and parking where you shouldn’t, or parking for longer than you have paid for.

Be aware that local councils around London will not hesitate to penalise offenders, and with the numerous, well-publicised funding pressures on local council budgets, parking fines are an effective way of generating income.

Councils are recording their highest ever incomes from parking fines. Some even report it as profit, supporting the contention that it is now considered a key element of their revenue rather than a penalty for anyone that breaches parking regulations.

Such publicity reinforces the need nowadays for commuters to ensure that they should not only plan their actual journey each day, but equally plan their parking.

When looking to find parking in Kensington where the local borough council have reportedly been imposing an average fine of £85 per parking offence in recent years, you would be best advised to make use of specialist parking providers who will be able to pre-book your long term, regular parking in Kensington for you.

24 7 Parking have been providing such specialist pre-booked cheap parking in Kensington for commuters for many years and now have an enviable reputation as being one of the premier providers of such services throughout London.