Don't do it: Boris Johnson parking fees plea

Antiques appraiser Joe Cerutti, 58, said: "This would be terrible, crazy. Nobody would go for it. I hope New York doesn't follow London on this."

Nicky Perry, who runs the British tea shop Tea And Sympathy in Greenwich Village, said: "To charge that kind of money they have to be idiots. People would go mad if they tried that in New York. People drive in to go shopping and buy things in the city they can only get in the city. If you charged them $7 or $8 then that would be it. I'd have to close up and move back to London."

Some districts such as Greenwich Village do have meter charges of $5 an hour up to 10pm, compared with the £4.80 ($7.50) up to midnight that Westminster wants on the busiest nights.

But in other areas where there is metered parking in the evening, such as some streets around Times Square, there are also free places.

Evening Standard found free parking after 7pm on a number of cross streets just a short walk from Broadway. Close to the trendy Meatpacking District there is free parking after 6pm and all day at weekends on Horatio Street between Greenwich Street and Washington Street.

Evening charges of £1 after 6pm were introduced in Stoke in April last year and have been held largely responsible for putting people off coming into the city centre. Stoke council leader Mohammed Pervez said the evening and weekend charges were essential to raise revenue because of Government cuts, a motivation that Westminster's administration has always strongly denied.

Mr Pervez said: "We face huge financial challenges and one of the ways we can raise revenue to maintain services is through parking charges.
"Obviously we look at everything to make sure savings can be made but it is important to generate income as things are only going to get tougher. But we are fully aware that raising prices too high could have a detrimental effect on town centre retail."

Stoke City Independent leader David Conway said the charges were "killing the city" and widely hated. He said: "It is just another reason not to go into the city when you have to pay for parking everywhere."

Emma Bridgewater, the pottery entrepreneur who started her business in Brixton but is now one of Stoke's largest private employers, said the charges were "hugely detrimental" to the city's economy.

She said: "Businesses are struggling to survive and need all the help they can get. All councillors should be trying to get people into shops and it (the parking system) is the opposite of that.

"Stoke is an economic disaster area and this is just another nail in the coffin for an area struggling for its life."

View from Stoke: "these extra charges have made it a ghost town - it is just dead"

Aves Panithi, 65, has been running his restaurant Robertos in Stoke for the past 31 years.

He said: "In the past, people would wait until after 6pm to come, get some food, see a show, because of the charges. Especially older people, they really look after their pounds. Now these extra charges have come in, it is noticeable there are fewer people. It feels like the council does not want people coming to the town, it is a ghost town - it is just dead."

Jobi Jose, 35, newsagent in the town centre, said: "People are struggling, it is tough times and they are just trying to get as much money out of people as possible."

Nina Smith, 42, sales director for the Quality Hotel in the centre of Stoke-on-Trent, said the parking charges were having a negative impact on the hospitality industry.

She said: "It is hard enough in hospitality to attract people to pay the hotel rates, so when you tell them they have to pay for parking as well in town it's even worse.

"We totally disagree with the charges and it does nothing to attract people into Stoke."

View from New York: "I hope we don't follow London on this"

Restaurateur Nello Balan, who runs Nello in midtown Manhattan, said that a $7.50 an hour evening charge (the dollar equivalent of the £4.80 proposed by Westminster council) was "madness".

He said: "I've been to London many times and this would be bad for the city. Sometimes New York follows London and I hope we don't with this one. It is not good for business and will stop people from driving in. I don't know what they are thinking - maybe they want us to go back to using carriages instead of cars.

"I don't think Westminster have thought this through. It would be stupid to charge that much".
Actor Shauna Miles, 32: "If it cost almost $8 an hour to park, there is no way I'd ever drive in. It's a really bad idea. I can't imagine anybody would be stupid enough to try it out."

Bartender Jillian Cody, 26: "It's just another kick in the face for drivers. There's no way I'd drive if it cost that much to park."

Restaurant and bar manager Carolina Gutierrez, 32, left: "It would hurt small businesses. Things have already been tough with the recession and this would be the last thing a city needs."