Two hours free parking to be scrapped in Cardiff

Local TV

The council’s flip flopping has finally come to an end and have finally decided that two hours of free parking has come to an end. It will be replaced by half an hour of free parking, with 50p for the first hour after that.

Transcript

00:00Cardiff's free parking debate has taken yet another turn, and this time the council says

00:07the decision is final.

00:10Back in February the authority announced it would scrap the long-standing two hours of

00:14free parking in council car parks.

00:16That sparked immediate backlash from residents and businesses who warned it would hit footfall

00:20and push people away from local high streets.

00:22So the council went back to the public and thousands of people responded.

00:28More than 6,000 people took part in the budget consultation, and over half actually supported

00:33removing the free period, but that wasn't the end of the story.

00:36A second statutory consultation followed in the summer, and then a full re-consultation

00:40in the autumn.

00:43Now the revised plan is in place.

00:45From the beginning of December, council-run car parks in areas like Canton, Pont Canna,

00:49The Heath and Whitchurch will keep some free parking, but only for 30 minutes.

00:54After that, drivers will pay 50p for the first hour.

00:57The council insists that rates remain lower than those in comparable cities, and won't

01:01put people off.

01:03A spokesperson says the 30 minute window strikes a balance, enough time to pop into a local

01:08shop or pick something up, but still helping the council cover the costs of running car

01:13parks.

01:14Notices are already up to warn drivers about the new charges.

01:17And it isn't the only shakeup coming to Cardiff parking.

01:21In October, the council also revealed plans for a new surcharge on larger vehicles like

01:27SUVs, and although there's no start date for that quite yet.

01:30For now though, from December, free parking in Cardiff won't disappear entirely, but it

01:36will look very different.

01:37Who knows how it will affect Christmas?

01:39James P. Watkins, reporting for Local TV.

01:42Here are the panelists.

01:44Any questions coming up?

01:48Maybe.

01:49Let's ask if we can get this back?

01:50I think it's important, and you're there, but we can get this back?

01:55That's the most important, and I'm there.

01:55I don't know.

01:57Let's go here.

01:58Have a great afternoon.

01:59We've got a couple of hours.

02:01So let's go here.

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