As the community fumes over the possibility of more timed parking in the public car park behind Bathurst RSL Club, patrons of the club, frustrated at hardly ever being able to find a parking space, say they would welcome the move.
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Barbara Solomon is furious that she often sees vehicles displaying the name of a local business parking there all day.
“When I come down for lunch I can’t get in,” she said. “It’s pretty rude.”
Margaret McIntosh said when members come to the club at lunchtime for a function they can never find anywhere to park. She thinks four-hour restrictions sound great.
Ms McIntosh said one recent function was attended by 160 people of all ages.
“They had to walk long distances to come to it because there were no spaces in the car park,” she said.
Patricia Gannon said she comes to the club with friends and often they have to drive around and around looking for a parking space and still end up parking blocks away and walking.
“When you think that people park there, then go away and come back with their shopping, it’s just not fair,” she said.
Joy Richens, who attends exercise classes at the RSL, said if there is a function on at the club it is impossible to find a space to park.
Robyn Garment said the club has a lot of elderly members who come for lunch, bingo and indoor bowls.
“Many have trouble walking. How can they be expected to walk for blocks?” she said. “Sometimes the car park is chock-a- block and sometimes it’s not.”
Shirley White said if she has a meeting at 10am she tries to get to the club by 9.40am because it is nothing to spend 20 minutes looking for a parking spot.
She said sometimes she is forced to park in one of the two-hour timed parking spots and, when the time is up, she has to go and try to find another parking spot.
“So many people I know come here for lunch and can’t get a spot, so they go somewhere else,” she said.
“I don’t know why they ever introduced two-hour parking on the other side of the road. There’s also a two-hour limit down past the lane on this side of the street. It used to be all day parking.
“People come to the club for bingo, meetings, raffles, exercise classes, social draws, and meals. They are all at different times of the day, and parking is always a problem.”
Judith Goodfellow said she factors in 15 minutes to find a parking spot.
“It’s absolutely hopeless. Today I am parked right up past Clancy Motors and I have bad legs.”
Bernice Speight, who is 82 and has osteoarthritis, is also forced to walk.
“I’ve driven around the car park three times, and in the end I had to park halfway to Stewart Street and walk.”
Inez Funnell, who also has back and leg problems, thinks a four-hour limit is a great idea. “It would certainly stop people hogging it all day,” she said.
