I AM sorry Mr Butterwick (Letters, April 6) chose to park in one of only three car parks where charges have increased.

Had he gone a short way down Piccadilly to Castle Mills, for example, he would only pay £3.90 for three hours, a decrease of 13 per cent on what he was paying at Piccadilly. Prices have been frozen this year at on-street parking spaces and at 80 per cent of our car parks. Other ones handy for the Piccadilly area, where charges have not increased, include Peel Street and St George's.

Our parking structure now allows people the choice of paying more for the convenience of an inner city car park or paying the same as last year a little further out.

Alternatively, Mr Butterwick may care to follow the example of two million people each year and use the Park and Ride service at just £1.80 a passenger.

Coun Ann Reid,

Executive member for

planning and transport,

Grassholme, York.

Updated: 11:14 Saturday, April 09, 2005