Aucklanders will soon see some dramatic changes to their parking prices.
It comes as Auckland Transport's (AT's) first region-wide change to parking costs since it formed in November 2010.
Auckland's hourly cost of on-street parking and AT-managed carparks will increase by $1 per hour from next week.
Additionally, the AT-owned Downtown Carpark on Customs St West will drop its weekday price cap from $40 to $24, and will raise its off-peak evening and weekend day-long parking caps from $10 to $15.
No price caps at any other AT parking facilities are changing at the moment.
A trial for free weekend parking will take place next Monday at Takapuna's Toka Puia carpark.
The change follows a Letter of Expectation from Mayor Wayne Brown in December pushing AT to review its parking prices.
"Auckland Transport should look at opportunities to increase external income and reduce reliance on rates funding," Brown wrote in the letter.
He said the key area AT should investigate is "increasing revenue from parking".
"Currently, AT is undercutting market rates for parking, which is not appropriate in this environment."
AT executive manager of service delivery Andrew Allen said the new parking charges would be more in line with public transport fares.
"We have had strong feedback from many Aucklanders that if we are reviewing the cost of our public transport fares each year, we should be doing the same for our parking charges," Allen wrote in a statement.
"These changes are also consistent with Auckland Transport's Room to Move strategy which outlines how Auckland's management of parking can help improve the efficiency of our roads, while keeping parking options available for Aucklanders who need them.
"The extra revenue generated each year will go towards covering Auckland Transport's operating expenses, including for running Auckland's public transport network and continuing to deliver road safety programmes."
