I CAN assure Mr James (Letters, March 28) that York's parking charges are comparable with other cities of similar size throughout the UK.

A lot has been said about our parking fees and this so-called blitz on motorists but very little is said about the service that is provided for the fee to park.

Mr James mentioned the Shambles in particular. There has been no car crime in that car park for some years and it received a national award for the high level of security, cleanliness and information provided.

CCTV, patrol staff, new helplines in six of our car parks which will be installed within the next few weeks, and fully staffed, clean, safe public toilets in Union Terrace, which has recently been awarded the coveted secure car/coach park status, have all helped to reduce the level of crime in our car parks by a staggering 56 per cent in the last 12 months.

With regard to illegal parking outside Westgate Flats on Leeman Road, I share his concern. Inconsiderate parking of this nature is totally unacceptable; there is no reason for vehicles to park on the footway and any caught will be issued with a penalty charge notice.

The council's highway regulations department is currently discussing ways of preventing illegal parking in this area with Westgate management and in the meantime, parking attendants will be strictly enforcing the waiting restrictions on Leeman Road.

Bill Bird,

Parking services manager

City of York Council,

St Leonard's Place, York.

...IN reply to Mr James, all York residents are able to obtain a York residents parking permit from No 9 St Leonard's Place.

This enables them to receive a discount when using car parks run by the council. Also my proposal that the April rise would not apply to resident badge holders was accepted.

I would also like to reply to N Hillen about the BLISS system (April 1). The money to fund this is not coming from council tax, but from a central Government pot which the council bid for and won.

York council is one of only a couple of pilot schemes across the country and will allow for better information, movement, and reliability of buses in and around the city.

Unfortunately the council cannot control bus fares due to deregulation in 1985 as First is a shareholders-owned company. However if N Hillen's daughter is between 14 and 16 she is entitled to a Yo-zone card either by picking up a leaflet at her school or local library.

Tracey Simpson-Laing,

Executive member for transport,

City of York Council,

Carnot Street,

York.

Updated: 11:51 Monday, April 07, 2003