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HUNDREDS of extra drivers are being fined weekly through the CBD and Valley since Brisbane City Council increased parking meter hours in January.
An average of 382 tickets were issued every week since weekend and weeknight parking became fodder for council inspectors. Figures given to council last night, covering January 14 to May 30, showed Sunday was the best day for parking inspectors, netting 2399 drivers who failed to pay for their park. Another 1820 were fined on Saturdays and another 3235 were caught between 7pm and 10pm during the week. Brisbane City Council has raked in more than $1 million since January this year for fines in the CBD and Fortitude Valley, but this was across all time periods. Opposition leader Milton Dick said since the extended hours were introduced, retailers have reported a weekend trading downturn of 23 to 25 per cent and restaurants have lost a quarter of their weeknight business. "The LNP Council Administration is treating on-street parking in the inner city as a 'two-way cash-cow'," Cr Dick said. "The parking meters are swallowing money faster than poker machines, and people who accidentally overstay their parking times are being hit with massive fines." He called on Lord Mayor Graham Quirk to change his policy and help local business. But Deputy Mayor Adrian Schrinner ruled out any changes to the policy, saying they were well signed and publicised. "This is about boosting business opportunities in the CBD by keeping on-street car parks turning over, rather than allowing them to be hogged all night and weekend by a select few," Cr Schrinner said. The weekday tariffs are $2 an hour from 7pm to 10pm and $2 an hour from 7am to 7pm on weekends. Cr Schrinner said people who felt they were unfairly fined could contact council. Let us know if you have recently been stung, on a Sunday.
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