Huge increase

SIR — I am writing to you in relation to the ever-increasing car park fees at Harpenden Station. We are coming up for our annual renewal in January and I can see that already the fees for an annual parking ticket have increased twice now and stand at £869

SIR - I am writing to you in relation to the ever-increasing car park fees at Harpenden Station. We are coming up for our annual renewal in January and I can see that already the fees for an annual parking ticket have increased twice now and stand at £869. This is an increase of over £100 yet again. We paid £759 last year and around £650 the year before.

What is the justification for these extreme increases every year? It is getting ridiculous. Whatever happended to customer relations? As if the train fare increases were not enough each year we now have to endure this extra cost to park our cars.

It is very unfair, particularly as they know that many customers do not have an alternative due to restricted time zones for parking in the local area. The car park is always full on a daily basis. We come from a surrounding village so cannot walk or bus to the station at such an early time each morning.

It now means that my husband, and I am sure many others, need to be earning around £4,500 (£3,500 fare and £869 parking) per annum before they even start work. Where are these increases going to stop? Surely it cannot be that someone will need to pay over £1,000 to park a car shortly?

I am appalled, to say the least, and would appreciate some feedback as to how First Capital Connect (FCC) justify these increases and where they willl end. It seems to me that FCC are constantly battering their customers and just take, take, take.

JOANNE BRADLEY,

Crouch Hall Gardens, Redbourn.