2 May 2016

Council Extends Parking Trials

The Palmerston North City Council has decided to extend its two parking trials in the central City until the fourth of July.

Council today agreed to allow more time to evaluate the success of the trials which began in mid- February.

One trial, which offers free parking on Saturdays until eleven am, was due to expire at the end of April.

The other trial was meant to finish at the end of June. It allows a driver to park in the same space for up to three hours provided they feed the meter.

"Residents need a bit more time to take advantage of the new initiatives. It makes no sense to cut them off too abruptly", says Mayor Grant Smith.

"I believe the parking trials have offered people more incentive to spend time in the City centre whether they're doing business, shopping, dining or using the library."

Council agreed to the extension so the trials could be analysed and assessed along with feedback from the public on the broader Parking Management Plan. Final decisions are due to be made on the City's parking facilities at a Council meeting on 27 June.

Mayor Smith says he hopes Councillors agree to make the trials permanent at the June meeting.

"It wouldn't make sense to end the initiatives now only to have them reinstated a few weeks later. It would be a waste of time for Council to repeatedly change parking signs. It would put pressure on enforcement staff as well as frustrate and annoy the community."

ENDS

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