PARKING RIP-OFF?

Lord Mayor denies price gouging waterfront revellers

HOBART Lord Mayor Sue Hickey says the council is not price gouging waterfront revellers despite parking fees at one of the nearby car parks rising this year.

Throughout this year’s Taste of Tasmania, drivers hoping to use the Salamanca Square car park will have to cough up a minimum $10 when they enter. The fee covers four hours of parking but there is no hour-by-hour option to enter the car park.

Last year, motorists were charged $2 an hour for the first three hours, paid on an hourby-hour basis, and charged an extra 50c an hour to stay longer.

Alderman Hickey said the parking changes came about after a yearly review of costs.

“We don’t gouge our fees,” she said.

“We have a yearly review of it all and this fee makes it exactly the same price as it is on the Salamanca strip.

“It’s still very cheap, much cheaper than a parking ticket.

“We are offering them more time in the car park but we do need to move them along.”

But patrons the Mercury spoke to were less than impressed by the changes.

“I’m not very happy with it,” one motorist said.

“But the problem is if you want to park close to the event, you have to pay it.”

Ald Hickey said with the Cenotaph not hosting a circus this year, there was more free parking available than last year.

“There are a lot of (car) parks around the city. This year we have the Cenotaph available which is great,” she said.

“A couple of people have complained about the Park ’n’ Ride shuttle bus being only operational on one day [today] but it does cost a lot of money which has gone back into the entertainment.”

The Dunn Place and 1 Montpelier Retreat car parks will be open as usual for the Taste period.

Dunn Place will have a three-hour time limit and fees applying between 8.30am and 5pm, and Montpelier Retreat will have a time limit and fees applying from 8am to 8pm.

But there will be no time limit on parking or fees charged outside these hours.

A free bike valet service is being provided by Bicycle Network Tasmania just outside the opening gate at the Taste — just opposite the Kids in the Park.

Co-ordinator Brad Woods said it was an easy way to get to the event. “It’s free. We look after the bikes, what more can you ask for,” he said.