City parking to cost more

Parking in Auckland is a constant headache and, to make matters worse, the cost of street parking in the CBD is going up again, says newshub.co.nz. The changes will roll out over three weeks starting on August 1. Parking in the central zone will go up from $4 to $4.50 per hour for the first two hours, and will increase from $8 to $9 for every subsequent hour. Outer zones that were $2 an hour will be brought into line with the second zone, which is $3 an hour for the first two hours and $6 for every subsequent hour. Only London beats Auckland for the cost of parking for three hours, and Auckland's one of the only cities that penalises motorists the longer they park. That’s because street parking charges are designed to deter long-term stays. The council would rather motorists used one of their parking buildings for half the price, or motorists just left their cars at home. Those parking for a short time, though, get a reasonable deal. At $4.50 for one hour in the CBD, Auckland is cheaper than London, New York and Sydney – but more expensive than elsewhere in New Zealand. There's just one other car-obsessed city where parking is quite cheap. Los Angeles, where motorists can park downtown for just $NZ2.60 an hour.