Tesco stupid parking restrictions

[Susanna]

@Rolfe
It’s all so short sighted, isn’t it? It would be understandable if the parking spaces were in short supply, but if are not, why penalise people trying to do their bit for the environment?

 

[Rolfe]

It wouldn't even be understandable if the connectors were frequently all in use. This is a large multi-storey car park, in a city that has a Low Emissions Zone. Less than 1% of the parking spaces have charging capability. If they need more, they should install more.

I think it's likely that most EV drivers charge at home and don't come far enough to need to charge in that car park. I'm 50 miles away, and I wouldn't normally need to charge there, at least in summer. I think that's why they aren't more used. But stuff happens. I needed the chargers in May because I had to drive on to Largs after visiting the theatre, spend the night in a hotel (which didn't have EV chargers) then over to Cumbrae on the ferry, attend a funeral, back to the mainland and 70 miles home. The obvious place to charge was in that car park, while I was at the opera. It was only Carmen, not a particularly long piece, but I was 3 hours and 35 minutes. My friend had asked if I wanted to go to dinner before the opera, which would have been nice as I knew I'd miss dinner at the hotel, but I didn't want to have to leave the theatre at the interval to go back to the car park and unplug the car, so I declined. Great for bringing business to the city centre I don't think.

I might need the chargers in winter, I'm not sure how the SR will perform in really cold and awful weather. Far better to charge in the car park than stop for a top-up on the way home. But also not fun to have to leave the theatre in that weather to unplug the car during the interval. Especially since I'll probably be the only car on the eight connectors.

They need to stop with the overstay fines and let people stay as long as they need to be there. And if it does start to happen that all the connectors are occupied, they need to install more. They have completely the wrong attitude.

 

[Gadget Geek]

Want to have dinner then go to the theatre? Be prepared to run back to the car park during the interval to unplug your car, probably in freezing rain.

This reminds me of when I used to work at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, 40 years ago. Half way through an hour long examination, a patient got off the table and disappeared for 10 minutes to go and put some more money in the parking meter.

 

[Rolfe]

It's just like that, isn't it!

I had a reply from ChargePlace Scotland saying that the charges are set by Glasgow City Council and it was them I needed to contact. Gave me the right email address too. So I need to re-cast my email for the Council. Which is full of stick stone stupid numpties, so I have little optimism.

 

[Rolfe]

Well, "interesting" reply from Glasgow City Council - automated.

What's the betting I don't get a reply. They sound very self-righteous and rigid in their thinking.

 

[Susanna]

It’s all designed to discourage people from offering suggestions to improve facilities, or find out how and why decisions are made. They just send you round in circles until you give up and obey their counter intuitive rules.
Gone are the days when you could have a sensible and productive conversation with the person responsible for the policies.

 

[Rolfe]

Well, I tried.

I explained the rationale behind destination chargers, and the concept of an EV-equipped parking space. I noted that less than 1% of parking spaces in that car park being so equipped was never going to be sufficient going forward with the introduction of the Low Emission Zone. I pointed out that many municipal authorities, particularly on the continent, are being pro-active and installing charging capabilities in a large percentage of car park spaces. I pointed out that people will spend more money in the city centre if they're not fretting about rushing back to their car, and in particular that the fine discourages people from having a pre-theatre meal.

I reckon I'll be lucky if anyone even reads it.

 

[Deleted member 10041]

I've just emailed ChargePlace Scotland about the £40 overstay fine on the type 2 chargers in the car park I use in Glasgow. Four-hour limit, then £40 penalty if you're a second over. In a car park with over 800 spaces and eight type 2 connectors, which are nevertheless never all in use at once. Also, a car park with expensive parking charges which EV drivers are paying the same as everybody else.

Want to have dinner then go to the theatre? Be prepared to run back to the car park during the interval to unplug your car, probably in freezing rain. Although it will probably be the only EV charging. Ridiculous.

We'll see how I get on.

Charge place Scotland don't have much of a say in a lot of the locations they have chargers, they are sometimes just basically facilitating and the land/facility owners make up the rules which is unfortunate.
It also explains some of the big variances in price for the same type of charger.
I've been up in Speyside all week and had from 27p to 70p (all chargeplace Scotland) fortunately my car charges at 22kw AC which helps massively if I'm not into much of a rush and was happy to sit and have a bit of lunch, because it's not a fast charger they all tend to be 35p and under.

So glad I got my card though as it saved a bit of hassle with iffy phone reception

 

[Rolfe]

Yes, if you read on you'll see how that developed.

 

[Deleted member 10041]

Yeah I did but was just highlighting how it can vary across the same area, in different parts of the country.
I was in fort William last weekend the fast chargers had a 45 minute limit, the destination chargers had no time limit, very sensible arrangement.
Car park was council run

 

[Rolfe]

The council run the charger here too, and the rule is quite sensible. Yes it's annoying to have to come off the charger after 54 minutes when you know very well that nobody else is waiting, but we need the rule for the times somebody is waiting. It's the only charger for miles. It does mean that the AC connector (which is rated at 44 Kw actually) may be underused, but it's there if anyone needs to balance charge, and it can happen that the DC connectors go out and then you can still get something from the type 2.

I just despair of Glesga cooncillors grasping the issue and actually doing something about it. They'll just parrot "we have to stop people blocking the chargers" in the teeth of the arguments, and hope they might rake in one or two £40 fines from the unwary. The concept that they are making parking in Glasgow unfriendly for EV drivers and encouraging them to leave rather than spend more money won't get through.

They don't care if elderly ladies have their evening at the theatre spoiled by having to go out and unplug the car in the interval. Or that EV drivers might decide against having a meal in town if it extends their visit beyond four hours. We have to discipline these uppity drivers!

 

[Susanna]

@Rolfe Just an idea - would it work to park in an ordinary space while you eat, then move the car to plug into a charger while you enjoy your theatre performance uninterrupted?

 

[Rolfe]

Oh, there are possibilities, and it would also depend on how much extra charge I needed (if it wasn't much I could even do that the other way round). The point is that this should not be necessary. These chargers are already underutilised. Nobody at all benefits from me having to trek back to my car at any point during my evening out. It's an unnecessary punishment imposed on EV drivers by a council that goes on and on about going green, and which just introduced a Low Emissions Zone.

I think they don't understand how type 2 chargers fit into EV charging, they don't understand the concept of the EV-equipped parking space, and they're fixated on the idea of stopping people from "blocking" chargers, even when that isn't actually happening.

I very much doubt that they're capable of having their minds changed, though I could be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Mitch AC DC]

My local Tesco superstore has 6 pod point EV chargers, and a massive car park. I have never seen it full. They recently installed new signage, along the lines of ‘in order that our customers can always find a space…….’ a 3 hour time limit during store opening times (no change there), but a 30 minute time limit when the store is closed. Why? Surely if people living locally wanted to charge their EV’s overnight when the store is closed, then they are not impacting on shoppers in any way. Madness! I have attempted to find out the explanation for this, but it seems impossible to find out who to contact.

My theory is that Supermarkets do not like the idea that "their carparks", are actually being used as carparks/EV chargers, hence the time restrictions, so only their customers are encouraged to use them. Not people parking for the station/seafront/market/etc. Same thing of night-time restrictions, if there, you`re obviously up to no good { campers/boyracers }. Bring back 24hr shopping { bloody Covid }

 

[timeades]

My local Tesco superstore has 6 pod point EV chargers, and a massive car park. I have never seen it full. They recently installed new signage, along the lines of ‘in order that our customers can always find a space…….’ a 3 hour time limit during store opening times (no change there), but a 30 minute time limit when the store is closed. Why? Surely if people living locally wanted to charge their EV’s overnight when the store is closed, then they are not impacting on shoppers in any way. Madness! I have attempted to find out the explanation for this, but it seems impossible to find out who to contact.

3 hours, you're lucky. Our local Tesco is 1.5hrs and Sainsburys 1hr. Will not be shopping at Sainsburys again as the last trip, plugged into the free Pod Point and went off to do our weekly shop. A few weeks ago I got a £100 parking charge for overstaying. Waste of time Tesco & Sainsburys having chargers on site