Parking charges to increase in Plymouth

RingGo users will now have to pay the service charge

Parking charges are to increase in Plymouth for the first time in two years, and a service fee for paying by RingGo, a mobile app, will no longer be met by the city council.

Hourly on-street parking will rise by 20p to £2.40, lower charges in the evening will be abolished, and there will be inflationary increases in some short stay car parks, for permits and disabled parking bay applications.

But long stay car parking charges won’t change.

The city council’s plans are expected to bring in additional income of £685,000 over the next 12 months.

They will come into effect on Monday 14 April.

The council has paid 20p to RingGo when people pay using their mobile phones since the pandemic, when it ended cash payments. This has cost £200,000 a year.

It says it wants to bring Plymouth more in line with other authorities by making drivers pay the charge.

The council’s cabinet member for transport Cllr Mark Coker (Lab, Devonport) said the alterations were being made due to rising costs and demand.

“These changes are essential for ensuring the sustainability of our services and making our parking system more user-friendly,” he said.

“By moving to a single charging period and adjusting fees, we are addressing long-standing issues and aligning our charges with other cities. We are committed to supporting motorists and visitors, and these changes will help us continue to provide high-quality services.”

Moving from separate daytime and evening tariffs to a single period from 6am to midnight will ensure motorists receive their full parking time, instead of losing time if parking is booked within an hour of the changeover between rates, he said.

The council will spend £10,000 on advertising, signage and reconfiguring systems.

It aims to bring in an additional £135,000 from on street parking increases, £280,000 from changes to off street parking and £80,000 from permits and services.

The one-hour options in Western Approach and Mayflower House Court long stay car parks will be removed. Tariffs here will remain the same to support shoppers, visitors, and employees in the city centre.

The council will launch a campaign to remind people that they can use any remaining parking time in other locations.

The maximum stay option of shoppers’ car parks will increrase from three to five hours.

An application for a disabled drivers parking space will go up from £40 to £43 and the fee for installation and remarking disabled bays will rise from £150 to £188.

These increases will help to protect the future of these services by removing any financial subsidy, the council said.

Over the past 12 months it has created more than 400 extra-wide spaces, expanded payment options, increased the maximum stay on streets in the city centre and introduced business permits in some loading areas.