Car Park Currency is Conkers?

Instead of paying for your parking with cash, a group of car parks are offering drivers the chance to pay with conkers.

One conker will equate to 20p, giving drivers free parking for a week beginning on 16th September and ending on 22nd.

It’s all part of an environmental scheme to raise awareness of the high levels of emissions from vehicles in the UK.

The Town Centre Car Parks (TCCP) car parks involved in the scheme are in Leeds and Manchester.

Conkers, or horse chestnut tree seeds, can be used instead of money for one week. Drivers can use a maximum of 50 conkers, which works out at £10 of parking charges. The TCCP will then sponsor a forest in the UK to help offset the pollution caused by car emissions.

To take advantage you’ll need to take the conkers down to one of the following car parks: Merrion Centre, Leeds, Clarence Dock, Leeds, and 30 Tariff Street, Manchester.

Only conkers which are intact can be exchanged and one car per household will be allowed to take part.

Although it sounds a bit like an April Fools' joke, Ben Ziff, managing director of TCCP, said the scheme was a fun way to raise awareness and give a little bit back.

“We all have fond memories of looking for conkers so this seemed like a great idea for our customers. We are looking forward to seeing how many people bring us,” he added.

If you don’t live in Leeds or Manchester, there are a variety of other ways you can save money on the costs of parking your car.

The website Freeparkingspace.co.uk is a good place to start as it’ll direct you to free parking spots across the country. Parkatmyhouse.com is another good website which lists private driveways you can arrange to park in, which are likely to be cheaper than a town centre car park.

Taking advantage of Park and Ride systems, and using supermarket car parks where possible, will also cut your costs.

If the real aim of this is to encourage Park n Ride, wouldn't it be better to scrap car parking fees and/or lower the cost of public transport? How will paying with conkers for a week or so change anything?

On the Island, to try and get people to use public transport to Douglas, the buses ran and only charged 10p per journey - not only were the buses full but they had to put extra buses on. Then the fares went back to their usual astronomic level and infrequency and people got back into their cars.

It's not rocket science is it!




http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/pay...100642269.html

Re: Car Park Currency is Conkers?

Conkers - are hard to find !!
Hello Kal

Re: Car Park Currency is Conkers?

Hi Pats

It's a bizarre theory isn't it - I wonder how much they pay people to come up with these ideas? I reckon between us, we could pull in a tidy sum thinking of the ridiculous

Re: Car Park Currency is Conkers?

[QUOTE=ben-varrey;349163][I]Instead of paying for your parking with cash, a group of car parks are offering drivers the chance to pay with conkers.
.

How will paying with conkers for a week or so change anything?




Sounds more like bonkers than conkers. .

Re: Car Park Currency is Conkers?

Cheeky mare - speak for yerself !!
No - I agree with ya - of course .....

Re: Car Park Currency is Conkers?

[QUOTE=Mups;349220] Thats a good 'un !

Re: Car Park Currency is Conkers?

LOL! You should live here - my walk to the nearest bus stop takes me down a short lane lined with chestnut trees. At the moment you need a safty helmet!!

Re: Car Park Currency is Conkers?

Really - can you toss some my way - put them around the house or flat to deter spiders ......

Re: Car Park Currency is Conkers?

I'm off to get some! Hate spiders.

Re: Car Park Currency is Conkers?

I've heard that before Pats CG, does it really work though?
I daren't try it because my two youngest dogs would nick 'em to play with and they're toxic.