Parking fine cheaper than paying for eight hours of tickets for Edinburgh’s city centre
● Local authority hikes ticket prices ● Hourly rate up to £4.20 in some areas
Pay and display machines in Edinburgh city centre now cost more than parking fines under new pricing guidelines introduced by council transport bosses.
The authority revealed they were hiking the hourly rate for parking in the Scottish capital during the budget announcement in February, with a rise of more than 11 per cent in certain areas.
However, thanks to the price of a parking fine not rising in line with the hike in fees, drivers could receive ‘discounted’ parking – by getting a ticket instead using roadside pay and display machines.
The hourly rate on Charlotte Square, George Street and St Andrew Square has risen by around 10 per cent, from £3.80 an hour to £4.20.
All three streets have a maximum stay of three hours, so drivers could move between the areas for the full eighthour working day at a total cost of £33.60.
However, while parking fines carry a charge of £60, drivers can receive a discount if they pay within 14 days at a cost of just £30 – almost £4 cheaper than abiding by the rules.
The rise only affects onstreet parking and does not cover specialist parking in private multi-storey facilities.
Private hire driver Murray Jones, 38, branded the confusion “ridiculous”, adding: “You expect to pay a premium when you come into the city centre, which is why I don’t do it all that often, but even then I think the pricing is a little excessive. Knowing that it is actually cheaper to get a ticket, that seems ridiculous, I do think you will get a few people taking advantage of it.”
Almost 9,000 tickets were issued by wardens on George Street last year, raising upwards of £520,000 for council coffers, according to figures released last month.
Other areas affected by an increase in charges included the roads around Melville Street and Stafford Street, which rose from £3.40 to £3.80. In Glasgow, parking rates are charged at 60p for every 12 minutes a motorist is parked on the street in the city centre, with a maximum stay Hourly rate ● Cockburn Street:
(from £3.60-£3.80) ● Stafford Street:
(from £3 to £3.40) ● Heriot Row:
(from £2.60 to £3) ● Dumbiedykes:
(from £2 to £2.40) ● Bruntsfield Place:
(£1.80 to £2)
0 Edinburgh City Council has increased the hourly rate for parking by more than 11 per cent in some places of two hours, working out at £3 an hour. In Dundee, city centre spaces are charged at £2.90 an hour.
Drivers still risk having their vehicle towed if they choose to leave their car without a valid ticket in a central Edinburgh location such as George Street for an extended period such as a standard eight-hour working day.
City of Edinburgh council’s transport and environment convener Lesley Macinnes said: “It would be rather selfish of people to decide to occupy a parking space in this way at the expense of others and despite knowing that it’s breaking the rules. It’s also important to note that any resulting income is reinvested in road maintenance and transport infrastructure across Edinburgh.”