Parking and bus charges set to rise for first time in five years
Charges for Invercargill’s on-street and off street car parking and fares on Council’s city bus services are set to rise for the first time in five years from 1 July – following Council’s adoption of the Draft Annual Plan which is expected on Tuesday next week. (29 June)
Senior Traffic Management Officer Eddie Cook said the charges for all on-street parking meters would increase by twenty cents an hour. Off street charges for Council’s public car parks and parking building would also increase by twenty cents an hour.
“Technicians will begin converting parking meters to the new charges from 1 July and conversion of the city’s 800 parking meters will take two weeks.
“It has been five years since Council last increased parking charges and Invercargill City has among the lowest parking charges of cities in New Zealand. Even after the new charges come into effect, this will still be the case,” he said.
“Bus charges will also increase by twenty cents for children and senior citizens. A senior citizen’s ticket will rise from $1.30 to $1.50 for a one way trip and a child’s ticket will rise from $1.00 to $1.20. An adult’s ticket will rise from $2.00 from $2.30 one way.
“The fares on Council’s bus services are also among the lowest in the country and we have managed to hold these charges for five years but it is now time for a review,” he said.
Mr Cook said Council was looking to produce a new bus service timetable and parking charges brochure. The new bus service brochure would be available by the end of June. The new parking brochure should be available by the end of July.
This new information for buses and parking will be available from the City Council Help Desk, the office of Invercargill Passenger Transport Limited, I Site, Citizens’ Advice Bureau and on the Council’s website www.icc.govt.nz
“The new timetable is better suited for those people who start work at 8am, 8.30am and 9am, because buses will now arrive into the CBD at 7.45am, 8.15am and 8.45am, he said.
Mr Cook said bus users would also notice that Council was installing new timetable and bus stop signs around the cities bus routes from the 1 July.