COMMUTERS in Ilkley could be excused for thinking that they may be getting a raw deal if new parking regulations are introduced.

The proposals to ban all day parking from many streets cannot come too soon for those who want to attract more visitors to the town.

It is clear that ward councillors see banning rail and bus commuters from clogging Ilkley streets as the way forward in a broad range of planned traffic improvements.

The new parking regulations could be introduced by February but this begs the question where people who catch the bus or train into Leeds, Bradford and elsewhere are going to leave their cars?

The idea of commuters beginning and ending their journeys on public transport is commendable but without a significant improvement in the bus network it remains wishful thinking.

Without a reliable bus service - timed specifically to dovetail into the rail timetable - people will still have to use their cars from the outskirts of Ilkley and Addingham.

Walking could be a solution but this is just not an option for people who live too far away. What could happen is that people will just clog up residential streets outside the newly created traffic zones or much worse, decide to use their cars to take them all the way into work and abandon any form of public transport.

This would increase congestion on the roads and reduce the numbers of people using the rail system altogether - an outcome nobody wants to see. The problem is one of the lack of parking spaces for commuters and shoppers. Easier parking during the day could attract more visitors and shoppers to Ilkley, boosting local businesses. But this would be to the detriment of residents who find it convenient to be able to park close to the station.

Any traffic improvements should benefit all sections of the community. Before new parking restrictions are introduced the public transport system needs tailoring to suit everyone.