Why not replace parking meters with docking stations?

Surrounded by Sunday newspapers with articles on London’s new cycle hire scheme while debating NSW’s horrendous transport problems and solutions to save the current NSW’s Labor government – well I have an idea.

Let’s start replacing on road parking meters with London style cycle docking stations and cycle hire scheme. On road parking meters have no use other than clogging our city streets with parked cars and raising money for councils. Yes, we still need parking spaces, but let’s get the majority of the parking spaces off road.

Sydney has already invested $76 million in new cycle ways with the Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore claiming it will transform the city into a cyclists’ paradise. Imagine if the state government had invested the half a billion dollars it wasted on the recently scrapped Sydney metro plan on state wide cycle ways and hire scheme. That’s a lot of push bikes.

In London, cycling is now back in style. It now has up to 5,000 bikes at 300 “docking stations” available for hire to combat the out of control traffic congestion and overcrowding on London’s commuter network.

There is even smartphone apps out there for finding the closest dock location:

• www.cyclehireapp.com
• www.londoncycleapp.com

So why can’t our state government embrace a vision of turning every city in NSW into another Amsterdam?

With pollution, traffic congestion and obesity problems – to me, it’s a no brainer.