Auckland Transport (AT) is telling residents and ratepayers its parking prices are increasing by 50 cents an hour “to keep up with the higher costs of keeping your city moving”.

The new charging starts from April 14.

AT parking services group manager John Strawbridge says the costs to maintain and service the network, “in what is a fast-growing region of 1.8 million people”, are also increasing.

“Our operational costs have gone up by 13 per cent,” he says.

“We’re responding to approximately 30 per cent more requests from Aucklanders to respond to issues that are frustrating them, such as blocked driveways, footpaths, and clearways.

“We’ve also been investing in technology infrastructure and compliance tools to ensure parking spaces are used as intended and we’re responsive to issues on the network.”

Strawbridge says demand for parking remains high in Auckland’s town and suburban centres.

“Public parking prices are adjusted sustainably and in several ways.

“The annual review looks at data including market conditions, economic conditions, operating costs, and considers socioeconomic factors.

“We also make adjustments to prices based on demand and do this throughout the year.

“This is similar to the approach taken each year to review public transport fares, which we also changed recently and ensures that users are paying a small share of the costs of running and maintaining Auckland’s parking, so that this doesn’t fall on ratepayers.

“Auckland Council is striving to keep rate increases low, and a small increase in parking prices is one way we’re supporting this,” Strawbridge says.

AT says its parking prices last went up in August 2023, by $1, “to keep up with costs”.

It adds that hourly charges for parking at all AT-managed car parks will also increase by 50 cents an hour, and “daily price caps at those car parks will change as well”.

AT says some areas of Auckland are excluded from the increases “if they’ve had a recent price change”, such as in Devonport, Westgate, Eden Terrace South, Freemans Bay, Edgerley Avenue in Parnell, and McNaughton Way and Delta Avenue in New Lynn.