parking Archives - Fortitude Valley News

Parking App Chaos Leaves Brisbane Drivers Confused

Photo Credit: CellOPark Australia/ Facebook

Brisbane residents who use the CellOPark app to pay for parking face major disruptions and uncertainty following a botched attempt to switch to a new system.

The trouble began when CellOPark users received text messages announcing that their accounts would be moved to a new platform called OPark. This sparked concerns about a potential data breach, especially since some “test” locations like “Gotham City” and “Bat Cave” were accidentally left on the system during the transition.

CellOPark, the company behind the app, assured users that no private information was compromised, but they would notify the Information Commissioner as a precaution.

Conflicting Information Adds to Confusion

Adding to the confusion, users received a second email telling them to disregard the first message about the switch to OPark. This email claimed that OPark was not connected to CellOPark and that the first email had been sent without authorisation. However, just hours later, CellOPark posted on Facebook that the transition to OPark would go ahead, apologising for the conflicting information.

Legal Battle Halts Transition

Amid this chaos, CellOPark announced they sought a temporary injunction to halt the transition to OPark. This legal action against their overseas supplier has put the entire process on hold, leaving Brisbane residents unsure about how they will pay for parking in the future. The Brisbane City Council, which promotes the CellOPark app on its website, has expressed frustration and disappointment with the situation. They are now reviewing their options to ensure the best outcome for ratepayers.

Council Under Scrutiny

Questions remain about the Council’s role in this debacle. It is unclear how much oversight they had over the transition process and whether they knew the potential problems. The Council has not yet provided a clear response to these concerns, leaving residents in the dark about who is responsible for this mess.

Brisbane residents are advised to continue using the CellOPark app while the situation is sorted out. However, with legal battles and conflicting information swirling around, it remains to be seen when and how this parking app saga will finally be resolved.

Published Date 24-December-2024

Fortitude Valley Ranks Second in Brisbane’s Parking Fine Hotspots as CBD Rates Soar

Fortitude Valley now ranks as the city’s second-highest area for parking infringements, coinciding with Brisbane’s ascent to having the costliest parking fees nationwide. The data was released as part of the 2023-24 financial year report on parking infractions and a separate study on national parking costs.

Parking Fine Hotspots

In the 2023-24 financial year, 170,677 parking fines were issued in Brisbane, totalling $34.35 million. This averages to about $94,000 in daily fines or roughly $3,900 every hour. The figure marks a slight increase from the previous year’s 168,042 fines valued at $30.58 million.

Brisbane CBD topped the list with 29,161 penalties, followed closely by Fortitude Valley with 23,170 infringement notices. South Brisbane (20,000 penalties), Spring Hill (11,857 fines), and Bowen Hills (7,233 fines) rounded out the top five suburbs for parking fines. Milton, Woolloongabba, West End, Newstead, and Kangaroo Point completed the top ten list.

Parking in Brisbane — *Photo Credit: BCC*

Civic cabinet chair for city standards, Sarah Hutton, noted that the council received roughly 40,000 reports of illegal parking during the financial year. She stated that parking rules are in place to ensure smoother traffic flow and safer city navigation. She also explained that a single vehicle parked illegally in a clearway or blocking a bus lane could cause significant traffic disruptions during peak hours, affecting thousands of commuters.

The most frequent parking offence in Brisbane involved drivers not complying with the “authorised system” while parking in a fixed-hour zone, resulting in 49,182 fines. This was followed by 25,016 fines for stopping contrary to a no-stopping sign, and 11,524 fines for stopping on a road with a yellow edge line.

Rising Parking Rates

A study by Ray White research revealed that Brisbane now has the highest parking rates in Australia. The city’s daily maximum drive-up casual rate stands at $79.83, surpassing Sydney’s $77.67 per day.

Vanessa Rader, Head of Research at Ray White, explained that changing attitudes towards CBD parking, work-from-home arrangements, rising fuel costs, and improved public transport have led to decreased demand for parking spaces.

Ms Rader pointed out that Brisbane’s high parking rates might face additional pressure due to the Queensland State Government’s upcoming introduction of reduced public transport fares. She suggested that this initiative, aimed at easing cost of living pressures, could encourage more car-free activity in the CBD.

Council-Owned Carpark Fee Increases

Brisbane City Council has significantly increased fees at its two CBD carparks, Wickham Terrace and King George Square, by approximately 25-35 per cent for most parking durations.

Early bird rates, popular among CBD office workers, rose substantially. At Wickham Terrace, the rate jumped from $20 to $26; at King George Square, it increased from $24 to $28.

Parking Signs Brisbane — *Photo Credit: BCC*

However, some rates have decreased. The maximum daily rate at Wickham Terrace dropped by $6 to $55, and the evening flat rate for four or more hours decreased by $9 to $6. The council also expanded evening hours to 4:00 p.m. instead of 4:30 p.m.

Impact on Commuters

Some Brisbane residents have criticized the parking rate increases. One regular parker at Wickham Terrace expressed frustration over the 30 percent increase in early bird rates, describing it as “abhorrent” given current cost-of-living pressures.

Despite the increases, the council’s car parking fees remain competitive compared to many privately operated facilities in the CBD, where early bird rates can start from $35 to $39.

The council maintains that its rates are adjusted based on supply and demand, and reminds drivers of the 15-minute free parking offer that remains in place. The council offers a three-stage appeal process for those who believe they’ve been unfairly fined. In the 2023-24 financial year, at least 5,976 parking fines were withdrawn, equating to more than $980,000. The top reasons for withdrawn fines included extenuating circumstances, officer error, reasonable doubt, and compassionate grounds.

Published 20-July-2024

Brisbane City Named 5th Most Expensive in the World for Parking

Brisbane lands in the fifth spot of cities around the world with the most expensive parking fees, a survey from a car maintenance company in the U.K. has revealed.

Analysed in the survey were different carparks in shopping centres, airports, city halls, stadiums and on-street parking in 65 major cities across the world.

New York ranked the highest with a parking rate that’s 354.75 percent higher than average. Boston (282.85 percent), Sydney (210.98 percent) and London (191.07 percent) were in the top next three spots, while Brisbane (173.62 percent) claimed number five.

The following rates are Brisbane CBD’s average hourly parking fees:

$17.82	airports
$16.88	shopping centres
$46.43	stadiums
$16.88	city hall
$4.69	on-street parking

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said that the survey’s result isn’t surprising but the Council has been keeping parking rates in the CBD as “low as possible.” A spokesperson also said that the fees increased to just $1.20/hour since 2002.

In suburbs like Fortitude Valley, South Bank, and in the CBD, for instance, there are some carparks that cost $5 a day on the weekend.

The city also has early bird rates and other schemes that were not accounted for in the data. These schemes enable motorists to plan their trips ahead of time to secure good rates.

However, parking services companies like Secure Parking, Wilson Parking and Westfield Scentre have also been urged to consider lowering their fees, especially in this pandemic crisis.