DRIVERS across Cumbria have paid almost £1.4m in on-street parking fines over the last full financial year – an increase of more than £300,000 on the previous 12 months. Our readers had their say on the News & Star website and Facebook page.

Motorists only have themselves to blame if they get a ticket. Nobody forced them to park there, or overstay the permitted limit. The rules are there for the benefit of everyone.

Thunder Drums

But when you live in a residents parking permit area, you have to renew every year or when you change vehicles and unless you want to park miles from where you live. I have several vehicles usually parked elsewhere but sometimes I need to use one or want to use one but cannot park it outside my house. I could understand this if I was in the town centre but I am way out,the permit scheme is a cash cow to pay for wardens to patrol council car parks and drive people off the streets into them.

Jonathon King

Road taxes already paid and these money grabbers want to drain every last penny out of Joe Public. Rip off Britain.

C Shelton

There’s no such thing as ‘road tax’ and hasn’t been for decades. The tax you pay for your car is based on its carbon dioxide emissions and isn’t a levy for using the roads.

Dagsannr

If you’re too tight to pay for parking in the town centre use your legs and walk the short distance in. It’s a shame the council don’t enforce the other rules as vigorously mind, littering, dog fouling, etc.

M Robb

£70 fine for picking up a parcel at Whitehaven Argos literally minutes. With a disabled disc set correctly on dashboard.

Faye Crawford

And they are now making it so disk parking on Sundays is for an hour, and all times are extended until 7pm through the week.

What happened to free after 3pm you say? Well that only applies to specific car parks miles away from where you want to be. And those happen to be at the end of a closed road with no access to town...

David Inchbold-Stevens

It’s probably because they have started patrolling the residential streets around the hospital at last!

Katie Tatie

I’ve been saying this for a while, those parking wardens are over zealous especially in Carlisle.

Barry Little

I got ticketed for loading and unloading... In a loading and unloading bay...

Sam Raitt

Park in the right place then you will not get fined!

Andrew Megson

We are our own worst enemies, we all know the restrictions so why do so many people provide these jobsworth wardens with such easy pickings. A bit more forethought and a little less gambling then we could put half of these people out of a job.

Derek Edge

Just don’t park illegally...it’s simple....then they will have to get rid of the wardens and (nearly) everyone is happy.

Dave Pealing

Motorists are cash cows, it’s disgusting.

June Terry

Sixteen-year-old students from Carlisle feel they should be allowed to vote in general elections.

So they will vote the way they have been brainwashed into by there tutors not having had time to make their own mind up.

Ray Cottier

How different is that from people who have been brainwashed by the Daily Mail?

Lillian Lindsay-Lawless

Utter contempt being shown to younger generations by older generations on this subject.

Many young people are more engaged and enthusiastic about the world than their elders who seem more world weary and more likely to accept the status quo while concerning their minds with keeping their own pockets lined.

If hope they get involved in politics because what’s going on so far clearly isn’t working and we need some fresh ideas.

Clare Knitsalot Rogerson

So true about the older generation being ‘world weary’. We’ve seen it all so many, many times before... promises, promises and more promises just being broken and disregarded once they are elected to do what they promised to do. I weep with despair, and dread what the future will hold for the young ones.

Carol Rimm

I was watching 20-year-olds on TV Monday morning, and most of the them were saying that they didn’t know enough about politics to vote, so wouldn’t be voting! If anything the age needs to go up not down. I think these young adults need to go out into the world of work and understand a bit more about business and commerce.

Leslie Fuller

Why should the few people who don’t understand ruin it for others?

Ellis Mayson

I think you should have to pass a basic test in order to vote. In the same way as you do for citizenship

Nick Sloan