In Friday's Argus there was an article entitled “Calls grow for alternative ways to pay for parking”. In this article Councillor Trevor Muten, the chairman of the Brighton and Hove City Council transport committee, makes the following statement: “Drivers who cannot telephone to pay for parking or those without smart phones, can pay for parking by cash or card at any shop in the city with the PayPoint sign”.

I would like to present Cllr Muten with a challenge. He is to drive his car to Pembroke Gardens in Hove and find a parking space at location 85511. He then has to find a shop in the city with a PayPoint sign and pay for his car. The problem is that he has to do this within the five-minute time limit that Brighton and Hove City council permit for any driver to complete this task before being given a parking ticket.

I will be at Pembroke Gardens to see fair play and I will of course be accompanied by a parking warden with parking tickets and a stop watch in hand.

I am an old age pensioner and would love to see this done within the time that Cllr Muten thinks “anyone” can do this from “any” parking bay in the city. In fact I will make it easy for him by adding that  if he wishes he can employ Usain Bolt to act for him as a substitute when attempting the task.

Will Cllr Muten  rise to the challenge via The Argus? Only time will tell.

Don McBeth

Grand Avenue

Hassocks