Hobart City Council credit card minimum fee set to go but parking meter fees set to rise around Hobart

The much-maligned $3 minimum credit card fee for parking in Hobart city is set to be abolished, but it will come at a price.

The Hobart City Council is reviewing its parking fees and charges. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

THE much-maligned $3 minimum credit card fee for parking in Hobart city is set to be abolished, but it will come at a price.

The Hobart City Council is reviewing all its fees and charges as part of its annual budget process.

A report ticked off by the finance and governance committee on Tuesday, which will be voted on by the full council on Monday night, recommends getting rid of the $3 fee from July 1.

This would mean customers will pay only for the estimated time they select and confirm at the meter.

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A motorist in Salamanca coming to terms with the new parking meters being rolled out around Hobart last year. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

“This operational decision drew widespread criticism and letters of complaint from across the community,” the council report reads.

“In the interest of making the new parking system as easy and convenient to operate as possible, while legally compliant, the $3 minimum transaction amount for both credit and debit card payments on parking meters is proposed to be removed from July 1.”

For each card transaction, the council incurs a 50 cent fee.

Committee chair Alderman Marti Zucco said the council had listened to the publics calls to remove the fee and it would bare the burden of the transaction costs.

“I have been advocating for this for some time now and am extremely happy to have been able to facilitate this decision,” he said.

“It will bring all payment methods into line, including the EasyPay app, credit cards and coins at the meter.”

The council is anticipating the removal of the minimum payment will result in more people using their card to pay and therefore total transaction fees will increase.

METERED SPACES SET TO INCREASE * Condell Place and Lefroy St car parks: from $2 to $3 an hour * About 750 parking spaces in various fringe locations around the city: $2 to $2.50 an hour * About 320 spaces in Bathurst, Watchorn, Collins and Argyle streets: $3.20 to $3.50 an hour * Dunn Place from $3.20 to $3.50 an hour and Salamanca Square $2.40 to $3 an hour * The 75 spaces in Hunter St: $3.20 to $3.50 an hour * Montpelier Retreat, Gladstone Street, Kirksway Place and Castray Esplanade: $3.20 to $3.50 an hour * All day parking areas in Evans and Harrington streets, Sandy Bay Rd and Molle St: $1.20 to $1.50 an hour * About 120 spaces in Macquarie, Collins and Murray streets: $2.20 to $2.50 an hour

The amount budgeted for transaction fees in the 2019-2020 financial year is $673,000

Because of this, parking meter fees have been reviewed and 1728 out of a total of 2088 parking space fees will increase.

The operational hours of four off-street short-term car parks have also been proposed to be extended, including Sundays for the Salamanca Square carpark and extending Dunn Place from 5pm to 8pm.

Condell Place and Lefroy St carparks would extend from 7pm to 10pm.

“The carparks are currently being heavily occupied by commuters (workers) resulting in a shortage of parking for visitors,” the council report reads.

Parking inspector patrols will also be amended to include these car parks during the extended operational periods.

Condell Place carpark in North Hobart. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

Parking and traffic fines will also increase slightly, by an average of about $1.25 for lower-valued fines, such as expired meters, and $3-$5 for more serious offences such as illegally parking in a disabled zone, no stopping zone or on yellow lines.

The council is also doing an overall parking operations review which will also look at early bird parking, the 90-minutes free in multi-storey carparks and the pensioner parking scheme.

Salamanca Square carpark. Picture: MATT THOMPSON