NO wonder motorists feel hard done by. And no wonder they think their local council is anti-car. For today The Star can reveal that drivers had to dip into their pockets to the handsome tune of £12 million last year to hand over to South Yorkshire's four councils after being fined or charged for parking.
That equates to £5.2million for Sheffield, £3.7 million for Doncaster, £1.9 million for Barnsley and £1.49 million for Rotherham. Much of the money goes to pay for the organisations which organise wardens to patrol our streets but surplus bolsters th
e treasuries of our local councils.
Exactly what is meant by the phrase that profits are ploughed back into traffic schemes?
With Sheffield council's track record in making life ever more expensive and difficult for so many motorists, there is a strong suspicion that this means we can expect even more so-called traffic calming measures which are little more than engineering works to drive motorists away from our town and city centres.
Let's all give thanks for a brighter city BRITAIN in Bloom judges could hardly have been anything other than impressed when they visited Sheffield yesterday. For the city certainly is blooming lovely these days - and credit to the men and women who have been busy adding such a wonderful touch of colour to our streets.
And it has to be said that it is not just the centre of Sheffield which has been transformed.
Throughout the region, communities are looking brighter and greener, harvesting the fruits of several years of work to brighten up our city.
Of course there are still too many litter and flytipping blackspots, all of which were created by residents who should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. But the overall impression is that Sheffield is getting brighter and better. And not just for the day when Britain in Bloom judges arrive.
This is something we can all enjoy - and something we should all thank those responsible.
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FeaturesMore business newsMore Rotherham newsMore Doncaster newsMore Barnsley newsCheck out the very latest on South Yorkshire's roads - including live traffic cameras on Sheffield's commuter routes - with our Traffic sectionThe full article contains 393 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.
