HILARY STEVENSON, of Town Close, Dartmouth, writes: I couldn't agree more with Ray Bridges' comments in last week's letters page. I lived in Dittisham for 16 years and always found a short-term parking place relatively easily during the summer peak ­season, when I drove into Dartmouth to do my shopping. It was another matter in the winter, however. Sometimes I would drive round and round until one of the few remaining short-term parking spots became available. Indeed, on many occasions I made the decision to drive to Totnes – double the journey time – to avoid the Dartmouth 'parking tango'. I wonder how many other residents of surrounding villages do the same, thus depriving Dartmouth of ­valuable off-­season trade. The 12-hour ­parking rule Mr Bridges suggests is one solution. However, there is a contradiction in terms that has always puzzled me: the traders in Dartmouth are always campaigning for more parking spaces on the premise that a lack of these is affecting trade adversely. Yet the traders could be part of the solution. How many shop owners leave their cars parked all day in the centre of the town in winter? If they do not need their cars for the whole of the working day, could they not use the park and ride? Parking in Dartmouth has always been a thorny problem, but long-term parking of ­vehicles on the embankment should be unacceptable at any time of the year. I am now happily living in Dartmouth with my own ­parking space.