PARKING CHARGES GOING UP

LISBURN motorists, already battling with sky high fuel prices, are to be hit with higher charges for using off-street car parks operated by the Roads Service.

The charges will be going up by 10p an hour with the exception of Queens Road Car Park where the current price of 30p for three hours is jumping up a whopping 300 per cent to 30p per hour. Those car parks where there is currently an evening tariff charge will also be increased by 10p an hour.

At a meeting of Lisburn City Council’s Planning Committee on Monday night members decided to call for a meeting with officials from Roads Service to discuss the parking charges in the city.

Alderman Cecil Calvert described the additional charges as a “disgrace” and said it was putting people off coming to shop in Lisburn.

“None of this money is coming back in to Lisburn. Is it necessary to put the charges up? It’s time we sat up and told Roads Service what we think” he said.

A spokesperson for Roads Service said: “Following a review of car park charges, to improve traffic management whilst contributing to the vitality of urban centres by encouraging a turnover of car park spaces, Roads Service will be increasing charges in off-street car parks in Lisburn.

“It is a widely accepted principle that charging in key town centre car parks encourages all day parkers to use the free or lower tariffs in peripheral car parks thereby maximising the availability at convenient town centre car-parks for shoppers and other visitors.”

The spokesperson explained that the currently free Roads Service car parks will not be affected.

Related topics: