Parking at train stations must remain free despite push to charge commuters
CAR parking at train stations must remain free despite a push by some to charge Sydney commuters, a parliamentary report has recommended.
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CAR parking at train stations must remain free despite a push by some to charge Sydney commuters, a parliamentary report has recommended.
But the government needs do more to manage the soaring demand – including extending a new trial of using Opal cards to activate free parking.
The parliamentary inquiry into the hot potato issue says the transport department needs to be more transparent about how it goes about locating car parks.
And it recommends the State Government does more work with the private sector to encourage carpooling to transport interchanges and “on-demand” services – where consumers use apps to get a share ride to the train or bus station.
Government MP Eleni Petinos, chair of the commuter car parking committee, said the inquiry heard evidence that in some congested retail hubs, shoppers took up to 50 per cent of commuter sports.
“The Committee recognises that commuter car parking is a live issue that is constantly changing, especially as new services and technology enter the market,” she said.
“Non-commuters taking up space in commuter car parks was a source of much frustration to people who made submissions to this inquiry.”
The report was in favour of retaining free parking, saying it meant more people catching public transport and this “helps to prevent commuters from taking up other parking spaces”.
“If a fee were introduced for commuter car parking, this would also run the risk of more commuters parking in local streets to avoid the charge,” the report found.
“The Committee does not support those stakeholders who argued for the introduction of a nominal fee for commuter car parks.
“The Committee recognises that free parking is one of the factors that leads to a high demand for further parking spaces and that Government funding is finite.
“However, we also consider that the current trials of Opal restricted car parks and the recommendations contained in this report should alleviate some of this demand.”
The parliamentarians said the trial of “Park and Ride” scheme – currently being tested on Sydney’s northern beaches bus line – should be expanded as soon as feasible “with priority given to car parks located in or near commercial hubs”.
Under the scheme, commuters use their Opal cards to activate free parking, with others forced to pay.
Government figures show off-street commuter car parks only fit just under 40 per cent of the current demand.
Private or council parks can take about 50 to 60 per cent of demand. But in the long term “parking may become “unsustainable” as demand rises.
Ms Petinos said the inquiry was told there was a “lack of consistency” between State and local government over commuter parking guidelines.
Another recommendation was for priority parking spaces in commuter car parks to be reserved for commuters who carpool.
And trials underway of “on-demand” services – where a passenger can book a service to pick them up from home and take them to a public transport interchange – should also be extended.
The inquiry was told by some organisations such as Uber and the NRMA that there will be no need for commuter parking in the future because of ‘lower car ownership and driver licence acquisition in younger generations, automated cars and ride sharing’.
But the committee rejected that, saying it believed “the commuter car park will remain relevant for the foreseeable future”.
Car parks are being built at Ashfield, Beverley Hills, Cabarita, Campbelltown, Casula, Carlingford, Eastwood, Hornsby, Lindfield, Merrylands, Pendle Hill, Prairiewood, Rooty Hill and West Pennant Hills.