Drive to curb parking issues

CAIRNS’ CBD has plenty to offer locals and tourists — provided you can actually find a park.

No doubt at some stage we’ve all experienced the sheer frustration of driving lap after lap of the city’s streets, desperately searching for that hallowed empty car space.

For city workers who need all-day parking, the options can be limited and expensive.

Cairns Regional Council has flagged a loop bus service as a possible solution to the parking frustration.

Council officers will be tasked with exploring the available options and determining what would be feasible for the city.

There is the potential for the buses to incorporate new driverless technology which has recently been trialled along the foreshore in Perth.

In Cairns, such a loop service could allow commuters to park on the edge of the city centre and catch the bus to their CBD destination.

Mayor Bob Manning says the idea doesn’t mean the city has a parking problem. But he acknowledges that the frustration of finding a park is the reason why some residents choose not to spend time in the CBD.

The idea of a bus loop service would be one option aimed at making the city more user-friendly.

It’s great that our CBD is busy and popular, but with two university campuses and a growing population, the parking situation is only going to get worse.

Heading into the city centre should never feel like a chore.

Whether the answer is more carparks or options like a park-andride bus service, we need to ensure our CBD is an easily accessible part of the city where people want to spend their time.