Parking charges to increase in Queenstown’s CBD

Beginning Monday 4 December parking fees will increase across central Queenstown.

These changes are being implemented to coincide with the recent introduction of a vastly improved Queenstown public transport service. With an all-important $2 fare, the service was launched across the Wakatipu Basin on 20 November 2017.

Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult sees these changes as essential to ensure new buses are sustainable and remain here to stay.

“This Council has pushed hard for the introduction of a much improved public transport for a long time and it’s fantastic to see it up and running and well-used by residents and visitors.”

“The reality for such an affordable public transport option to be offered is that it needs to be well used to maintain it, and we’ve long stated that it needs to be funded to offer substantially subsidised fees. As part of this bigger picture we are increasing parking fees in Queenstown for the first time in seven years.”

Further, from 31 March 2018 there will no longer be an option for daily or weekly rates, with a maximum 10-hour stay applying to most carparks, nor will there be free all day parking in areas like the Queenstown Gardens and One Mile car parks.

These changes will benefit the bus service in two ways. It will help subsidise the service, enabling a $2 flat fee anywhere in the Wakatipu Basin, and act as an incentive for people to use the bus instead of driving their car into the CBD.

ENDS

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