Re: The proposed parking charges in downtown Mount. (The Weekend Sun, page 4, September 15, 2023).

The traffic congestion at the Mount during the Christmas/New Year period does not justify charging for parking, considering it is only for a short time.

Other beach towns like Whitianga, Whangamatā, Waihī Beach and Ōhope have the same problem but it is something that they have to put up with during the holidays without putting in parking meters.

The Mount used to have a downtown public carpark but the council, in their so-called wisdom, concreted over it and transformed it into what has become a skatepark despite public opposition at the time.

This idea will only force people away from the beaches if they can only park for an hour or two at a time. Council parking manager Reece Wilkinson stated it will generate an estimated $1.6

million in revenue. That and the proposed congestion charges has to make people wonder if the underlying reason is to help pay for the city's massive debt that this council has and continues to dump on its ratepayers? This whole idea is similar to the council wanting to change the traffic flow around the Mount two years ago to one-way, lack of foresight and basic common sense.

Kerry Gibson, Bayfair Estate.