Local authorities should make car parking free in order to encourage shoppers back to the High Street, new research has found.
More than 85 percent of motorists want local authorities to either lift car parking charges, or continue waiving them if they’ve already done so.
This could help High Street retailers who have been particularly badly hit by the coronavirus crisis.
Thousands of jobs have already been lost from shops, and thousands more are predicted to disappear in the coming months.
Encouraging shoppers back with the convenience and cost-savings of free car parking could help stem the losses, suggests the analysis by car supermarket Motorpoint.
Almost £900m is normally raised each year by local authorities from car parking fees. However, a collapse in High Street trade risks costing much more than that, which is why so many think lifting car parking charges would make sense.
It also follows official government advice to avoid public transport wherever possible.
Motorpoint CEO Mark Carpenter said the results “clearly show the strength of feeling that people have for their local High Street.
“While free parking in itself won’t draw people back to the shops, it will certain incentivise more people to make that trip into their local town.”
Car parking is currently free for NHS staff and social care workers after the government gave financial backing in March to NHS Trusts.
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