Free Liverpool city centre evening parking ends

The parking charges increase comes despite almost 90% of people indicating they were against the move.

Transcript

00:01Parking charges have been extended in Liverpool City Centre, meaning an end to free parking after six.

00:06It was confirmed in May that two and a half years after the idea was first proposed,

00:11the local authority would finally move forward with plans to extend parking charges until 11pm.

00:17It's stupid, it really is.

00:20You know, parking, nowadays you park, well, trying to find a parking space and you ain't getting one.

00:26You gotta look at that.

00:27Yeah.

00:27Despite almost 90% of people indicating they were against the move,

00:33councillors have pressed ahead with the change, arguing it would standardise parking across the city centre.

00:39It had been expected the amendments would go live at the start of June.

00:42Now signage and parking meters have been updated across the city centre to reflect the changes to the controlled parking zone.

00:49As a result, drivers will no longer be able to leave their cars on city streets for free after six in the evening.

00:55If 89% have said no, don't do it.

00:58They should listen to the people.

01:00They shouldn't listen to what they think because they think it's more money for them.

01:04They should think about people who will park in there.

01:09It should be three after six o'clock.

01:13Until six the next morning.

01:14Councillor Dan Barrington, Cabinet Member for Transport and Connectivity,

01:19said changes to the city's parking offer would help deal with issues like the ongoing pavement parking problems.

01:27It had initially been proposed that the fee to park would go up by 10 pence an hour.

01:31However, under a scheme adopted last year, 30 minutes parking at the city centre has gone up from £1.20 to £2,

01:40while an hour will cost £4 up from £2.40.

01:45Parking nowadays is getting ridiculous.

01:48The prices keep going up.

01:49How are you going to pay for, like, parking if you can't afford it?

01:55Everything else is going up and why put parking up?

01:59You're only parking for a couple of hours.

02:00A spokesperson of all Liverpool councils confirmed the long-delayed schemes now live across the city.

02:07It's understood the last delay related to ensuring pay and display machines

02:12were correctly updated alongside the new signage required across the centre.

02:16Getting a lift into the city centre, obviously a lot of people still get involved.

02:21The shopping, retail, work.

02:24So I think it's going to be awkward.

02:26The proposed extended hours will require additional enforcement

02:29with revenues expected to bring in almost £240,000

02:35until parking behaviour is improved.

02:37The cost of enforcement will be met from within existing budgets

02:41and also from the potential additional revenue generated

02:44not only in the city centre but across the city too.

02:47In an update on changes to the parking scheme around Everton's New Hill Dickinson Stadium,

02:52the local authority said the new controlled parking zone

02:55will soon operate from 7am till 11pm every day.