Key workers that staff and administer Covid-19 tests at the Central MK drive-through testing facility are being denied key worker free parking, contrary to the Labour-led MK Council’s offer of free parking to key workers in council-owned on-street bays.  

The key workers employed at the drive-through testing centre, set-up on the 18th April in order to ramp up the government’s testing efforts, have found themselves left out of MK Council’s key worker designation and have only recently been provided parking discounts.

Shockingly, this means that despite the facility being tasked with potential Covid-19 cases on a daily basis, they are also being forced to muster upwards of £52 a month to pay for parking, which is nearly £150-200 worth of parking fees given the two and a half months the testing site has been open. 

The Conservative Group’s Health Spokesperson, Cllr Alice Jenkins, said: 

“It is deeply concerning that the key workers who are staffing our essential Covid-19 testing sites are not being provided with free parking. 

These are local residents who are putting their lives on the line in dealing with potential Covid-19 cases on a daily basis, yet are still being forced by the Labour-led Council to cough up £52 a month for parking. 

We’re calling on MK Council to classify those who work at the Covid-19 testing facilities as key workers.”