The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Park parking fees could be increased
Scotland’s largest national park could charge more for parking and introduce park and ride schemes to cut car use, its deputy convener has said.
Cairngorms National Park Association (CNPA) deputy convener Carolyn Caddick said a range of measures could increase sustainable travel use, reduce car numbers and slash emissions in the park.
She was speaking as the body, which governs the park area, committed to net zero emissions within only four years.
Mrs Caddick said: “There’s a bit of carrot and stick here. There’s a lot more parking fees coming in these days from Forestry and Land Scotland, NatureScot and us in the park.”
Some areas, such as Pitlochry, could easily become “honeypots” for parked vehicles, she added.
“It would be much more pleasant for people in the honeypots if they didn’t have to fight through all the cars. When I look at things like Center Parcs for instance. People take their car and they leave it and the idea is they bike or walk around the area.”
Last summer beauty spots, such as Highland Perthshire Munro Schiehallion, Loch Muick near Balmoral or Loch Morlich near Aviemore, became “clogged” with parked vehicles.
“In the US, you can’t always take your car to the centre of the national parks. You take it and you leave it. They have buses that rotate round and drop people off,” Mrs Caddick added. “If we could get that arrangement going I think it would be really positive.”
The park has already cut the total tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted from 150 in 2007/8 to 85 in 2019/20.
Mrs Caddick said they were working with a range of partners, such as transport companies and charities, to introduce more changes.
“A national park should be up there as an exemplar.”
She suggested free parking schemes and reduced price permits could help those living within the park’s borders who might be resistant to paying more.
“There are lots of compromises you can make to get local people on board. I don’t think it’s insurmountable, it’s just finding out what will work the best.”