In reply to Skinny Kin:
"Yes, it would make a huge difference and that difference would be an empty car park and cars choking up all the available laybys elsewhere. Then, the NP would not raise the money needed for improving bus services. Mind you, the bus services aren't improving anyway. What's the point!"
The point is that you set the price at the absolute maximum people will pay in order to maximise income. £20 is probably too much. As the car park fills up, £10 is too little. The right amount is I suspect somewhere around the £15 mark.
"It's kinda contradictary in terms. If the only one space is filled up when people want it, then there isn't always space available. Really don't see how it works."
It's called "yield management". If you have a finite resource, you charge such that you fill it up - just. Airlines do this quite well.
"Totally with you on this one. There must be much, much better intergration of the whole transport system to make it work. David Cameron's bullet trains together with connecting buses waiting at the train station."
Bullet trains aren't the point - integration - which I agree is needed - involves a slower but more co-ordinated approach. If HS2 is to be built, for instance, it should be infill like the Swiss did with their 125mph Neubaustrecke, and it should serve city centre stations and not ones in the middle of nowhere.
You aim for a "Taktfahrplan" - a regular-interval clockface timetable with planned connections. And absolutely tons of capacity. Speed isn't key.
"Plas y Brenin is kind of doing that. Picking people on their courses up from Bangor, Llandudno train stations, etc."
Yeah, I like this, have used it myself.
"Then, people wouldn't bother driving at all if all it takes is a couple of hours to get from Central London to Llanberis."
Indeed, and if they could do it after work, leaving 6-7pm from London, which they can by car (albeit with quite a late arrival) but can't by train unless they pay a fortune for a taxi at the other end.
Public transport really fails to cater for this market.
Neil