Auckland Transport’s decision to implement new 24-hour parking charges in the central city from July 1 has sparked criticism from all quarters, particularly as the news came out of the blue.
- From 1 July 24-hr parking charges in the inner city will be implemented
- Hourly rates to range from $2-$4 depending on zones and times
- Information on the City Centre parking Zones and charges can found here
Previously free parking on Sundays and outside 8am-6pm will now incur charges in a move to find savings, aligning with Auckland Council’s directives to cut $73 million in expenses over 12 months. The changes, effective July 1, include hourly rates ranging from $2 to $4, depending on zones and times, with one concession being that AT have said that they are looking to delay the introduction of the charges in the Wynyard Quarter area until the bridge is repaired and operating again.
The Restaurant Association is beyond disappointed to be blindsided by the revelations regarding Auckland Transport’s changes to parking charges in the Central City ParkingZone (CCPZ). While officials from Auckland Transport have said they “have been trying their best to communicate” these changes, we submit that this is nowhere near good enough. For that reason the Association has written to Parliament’s Transport and Infrastructure Select Committee asking them to consider initiating an inquiry into the role, powers and accountability of Auckland Transport. We have also advised Minister for Transport, Hon Simeon Brown, MP for Auckland Central, Chloe Swarbrick and the Minister for Tourism and Hospitality, Hon Matthew Doocey of our request.
As the largest representative body for restaurants and cafés in New Zealand, and one of the multitude of stakeholders let down by this announcement, we submit that Auckland Transport’s approach to this is completely unacceptable and warrants an inquiry to ensure both elected members and the general public can have confidence in the organisation’s operations.
Despite claims of transparent communication, we were not kept across the changes before announcement and we are concerned of the impact this may have for our inner city members.
View the Restaurant Association’s:
