Late start to hour-free parking trial

"People are expecting this trial in King St, and it is not the outcome we were seeking if it does not go ahead because of the vote on one hour free for the whole CBD." Rachel Bowen, city councillor

The trial of an hour’s free parking in the off-street metered spaces in the King St car park is to go ahead despite a late start.

The first hour free trial was included in the Palmerston North City Council’s recently-adopted parking management plan.

But it did not come into force at the beginning of July because staff thought it contradicted a council resolution against introducing an hour’s free parking throughout the central business district.

At the start of July a year-long trial doing away with time restrictions came into force, allowing people to pay to park all day on metered spaces throughout the central city.

Two hours of free parking up until 11am on Saturdays, which had already been trialled, became a permanent feature of the parking regime at the same time.

However, the proposals for the King St car park did not come into effect.

City Networks general manager Ray Swadel told Monday’s city council meeting staff were concerned the hour of free parking was in conflict with the council’s decision not to trial the concept more widely, and proposed reporting back on the issue.

But Cr Rachel Bowen said the two parking proposals were very different things, and no further reporting was necessary.

Councillors simply needed to make their intentions more explicit.

She said the council should act urgently to include the King St proposal with other trials already underway.

‘‘People are expecting this trial in King St, and it is not the outcome we were seeking if it does not go ahead because of the vote on one hour free for the whole CBD.’’

Cr Susan Baty said there had been wide consultation about the parking management plan, and people including the Community Services Council and customers at Hancock House were expecting the trial to be implemented from July 1.

‘‘Those expectations.

‘‘I, for one, did not support one hour free across the CBD, but I did favour this, and I’m surprised it has not happened as I voted for.’’

Transportation engineer Glenn Connelly said the council stood to lose between $1000 and $1200 a month in meter money as a result of the trial, but the uptake was likely to be slow, and the losses could be less. are quite clear