Doing laps of inner city blocks to find a parking spot could be a thing of the past, thanks to a new online hub developed by Brisbane City Council in conjunction with private operators.
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brisbaneparkingguide.com.au will enable motorists to search online to find the best deals on parking when they are heading to the CBD, Fortitude Valley, South Bank or sporting events and reserve a spot before they leave home.
Brisbane deputy mayor Adrian Schrinner said it was hoped the portal, the first online site to bring together all the city’s car park operators in one place, would help to reduce city traffic congestion as well as helping motorists save money.
“Up to 30 per cent of traffic congestion in CBDs around the world is caused by people circulating looking for car parking spaces,” he said.
“By planning ahead, not only do people save money they can reduce traffic congestion on the streets as well.”
Brisbane has, in recent times, garnered a reputation for having some of the most expensive parking of any Australian capital city.
While Cr Schrinner defended that as no longer being the case in relation to street parking, he conceded there remained a public perception prices at inner city car parks remained inflated.
“Brisbane is in the middle of the pack, in Sydney it is $7 an hour for street parking and in Brisbane it is $4.40, so certainly we are not the most expensive in Australia,” he said.
“This is about letting people know parking is cheaper than they think in the inner city and we are providing access to these deals.”
Inner city parking issues are an ongoing headache for the Council and Lord Mayor Graham Quirk last month established the Brisbane Parking Taskforce to examine how it can better handle the problem across the city.
Cr Schrinner is heading the review, which is due to deliver its report to council by December 9.
He said the development of the parking portal had preceded the taskforce.
“This is something we have been working on for several months with the car parking operators that is consistent with what we are trying to do in the parking taskforce, which is to make parking easier and more attractive to people to bring people into the CBD,” he said.
Council Opposition Leader Milton Dick described the portal as a "bandaid measure" and questioned why the council chose to unveil it now, before the taskforce had delivered its report.
"It's interesting they have pre-empted the parking review, I just hope this is not a thought bubble," he said.
"The website I don't think addresses concerns that I’m certainly hearing from ratepayers.
"It’s great to support businesses but it’s not doing anything to tackle parking problems in our city."
In addition to helping motorists find parking spots, the portal will also facilitate discounts during off-peak times, such as nights and weekends, in a bid to attract more people into the city’s dining and retail precincts.
Council operated car parks at King George Square and Wickham Terrace will offer $5 off-peak parking between July 11 and August 11, to mark the launch of the portal.
