Ipswich rated as a car-friendly town
IPSWICH was today announced as one of Britain's most car-friendly towns.
IPSWICH was today announced as one of Britain's most car-friendly towns.
The country's 50 largest populated towns and cities were judged on petrol prices, cost of parking, numbers of car parks and the level of car crime.
Ipswich came in a respectable 13th in the final list - one behind fellow East Anglians, Norwich, but streets ahead of bigger town and cities like Liverpool, Manchester and London, which all scored poorly in each of the categories.
Bristol had the most expensive parking, where a two-hour stay cost an average of £5.
The “car crime capital'” was Manchester with an average of nine incidents per 1,000 people. Swindon was the “safest” town, with just two incidents per 1,000 people.
Scott Mowbray, of Virgin Money, said: “The UK's 33 million motorists face many frustrations.
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“The number of speeding tickets issued to motorists has almost trebled in the last ten years and petrol prices continue to soar.
“It's easy to see why, for many, motoring has evolved from a pleasure to an exercise in survival on the roads.
“Although no town or city is perfect, thankfully there are still some pockets of the country that are still suitable for a Sunday drive.'”
The Shropshire town of Telford came out top in the poll, overtaking Dundee in Scotland as the best place for motorists.
The new town scored highly in each of the categories and was the best town for car parks.
The least friendly town was Northampton, where there were high levels of vehicle crime, few parking spaces and expensive petrol.
Does Ipswich deserve its position in the list? Is the town more or less car friendly than the poll suggests? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk
