youcanpark.com
01 March 2007
With global warming threatening our environment, it is vital that we find a greener alternative to the car.
With global warming threatening our environment, it is vital that we find a greener alternative to the car. That's why we have been campaigning for better local rail links.
Until we get better public transport, many of us have no real alternative if we want to get to work reliably and safely. And we pay the price: higher fuel costs, appalling congestion and nowhere to park. Parking in Bristol is a nightmare. You're late because you can't find a space. Vehicles crammed on the pavement obstruct pedestrians and obscure children crossing the road. Cars crawling around looking for parking spaces cause yet more congestion and carbon emissions.
But one young man has come up with an innovative solution. 18 year-old Tom Page from Westbury-on-Trym has set up youcanpark.com, a web site where people with driveways that sit empty during the day can rent them out to workers desperate for a parking space. It's a win-win situation. Residents make money from their empty drive, and workers can be sure of a clear parking space, close to work every day.
Charlotte Leslie said, "This is an inspiring example of someone spotting a problem, then going out to do something about it. Tom has shown that you don't have to be an experienced business man, or even wait until you've finished university, to put a good idea into practice."
Charlotte is making better rail links and better bus services a priority, but in the meantime, if you are forced to use the car, why not give youcanpark.com a go?