Rail firm criticised for car park lights being on all day (From Gazette)

Rail firm criticised for Colchester car park lights being on all day

9:00pm Monday 6th June 2011 in Colchester

NATIONAL Express has come under criticism from residents annoyed about it leaving its car park’s lights on all the time.

The lamps in the large car park, off Three Crowns Road, Colchester are normally left on 24 hours a day, leading to complaints of wasting money and it being environmentallly bad.

The company says it now plans to rectify the problem.

Mile End councillor Martin Goss, who uses National Express East Anglia trains to commute to London, said residents had been calling for a change for more than six months, but nothing had been done.

He said: “It’s a shame this has taken months and months to fix because it was highlighted many months ago.

“In the days that ticket prices are going up, it’s a complete waste of what is, in effect, our money, as customers of National Express East Anglia.

“I would like to see this money used on railways, not on lighting car parks for 24 hours a day. It seems ludicrous in this day and age.”

A spokesman for National Express said: “We are arranging to check the operation of the timing mechanism for the lighting equipment in the station car park area at Colchester and will be making any necessary adjustments.”