YOUR VIEWS: Inverness car park woes continue for motorists
Rose Street retail centre car park in Inverness city centre is the target of complaints including one from a driver with a Blue Badge disabled card [The Inverness Courier online, July 20], prompting others to follow suit.
My wife is another person hit by a fine. She was under the impression that parking was free if using the shops.
I believe that the local shops have a responsibility here. My wife is not British and is less streetwise regarding these things.
This issue must be an embarrassment to the city where it concerns foreign visitors. The local council needs to take up the issue with Britannia Parking.
Visiting Home Bargains in Tain does not have the same issues so people travelling into Inverness can easily assume that the situation is the same in Inverness. This is one of the things that leads to people shopping online and the success of things like Amazon.
The money does not go into the local economy so any council that really cares about its city would address these issues so as not to discourage visitors and eliminate this negative impact on the local economy. The money goes to Britannia Parking who are based in the more wealthy south of England!
Steve Mann, Dornoch
It also happened to my ex during lockdown.
He went to get food shopping for us and then after lockdown got hit with a fine. The ticket machines where not working then either and he even asked the shop there how to pay.
They all said the same thing, if the machines don't work you will be fine not paying as no one can.
D Mcmillan, Perthshire
There are signs to say you have to pay even with a blue badge. My husband always thought it was free for blue badges until he got a fine.
Emma Paton
I got a fine for entering the car park and driving round looking for a space. I couldn’t find a space and left five minutes later - £100. Haven’t been back. That was around Christmas time.
Helen Bellz
I won't shop there now out of principle!
It’s disgusting charging folk and sending threatening letters especially to disabled or vulnerable folk.
Tracy Stronach
Assassination attempt was a stunning event on live TV
Your columnist Colin Campbell is entitled to his views about Donald Trump [The Inverness Courier, July 19].
However, I was surprised as to how he portrayed Trump as the victim, stating that he had been “demonised beyond belief”. Really?
Who does he think has dragged US politics into the gutter this last decade by instigating/orchestrating relentless poisonous attacks on [US President Joe] Biden, and before him on Hilary Clinton and [former US President Barack] Obama?
Donald Trump is a convicted felon. His actions undermine American democracy, and it is not demonisation for voices in the west to call out this dangerous man for what he is.
Colin Campbell goes on to claim that, in the event of Trump returning as President, “left-wing extremists in the Labour government will try to ban him from the UK” and “John Swinney, or whoever is shovelled in as the next SNP First Minister, will make a puerile show of trying to snub him when he visits Scotland”.
These unfounded assertions and the disparaging language used reflect Campbell’s prejudices, and are what you might expect from a [Reform UK leader Nigel] Farage or [Conservative MP Suella] Braverman figure. They are not what is expected in your paper.
David Williamson, Portmahomack
Schoolboy battling cerebral palsy says ‘not every disability is visible’
Inverness teenager Lennon Howell, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was just five-years-old, is keen raise awareness for disabilities that aren't always visible [The Inverness Courier, July 23].
This family are so strong. Gillian has always put her children first.
An amazingly strong and courageous family. An inspiration to many. Well done for raising awareness.
Y Ritchie, East Lothian
Is splitting up Highland Council the solution to improving public services?
Inverness is a city now so needs to have its own elected members - same as Glasgow, Edinburgh etc.
The city has gone downhill in the last five years in terms of upkeep of streets and roads full of potholes and broken pavements, grass not getting cut and weeds a metre high.
The existing council officials are only there to get free meals and money for doing nothing, they should be disgraced into retirement as they are too old and lazy to care.
Brian Fraser, Inverness
