I'm (inter alia) a merchant - chairman of a deli and cafe in a small town. Our whole district (West Oxfordshire, England) has free parking and it's killing us.

I'm (inter alia) a merchant - chairman of a deli and cafe in a small town. Our whole district (West Oxfordshire, England) has free parking and it's killing us. People pass up shops they could walk or cycle to, like ours, in favour of shops they can drive to (in the nearest large town). There's no up-front cost to driving, and walking takes effort, so why not drive? The result of the local free parking policy has been that two large town centres in the district are thriving; everywhere else is dead; and the roads are clogged with traffic.