Brum parking charges soar 20 per cent

Apr 13 2007 By Mark Cowan, Birmingham Mail

PARKING fees in Birmingham have leapt by an inflation-busting 20 per cent in five years, new figures revealed today.

A survey of charges across the city found the average cost of leaving a car for two hours had increased from £2.67 in 2001 to £3.27 last year.

Direct Line, the insurers behind the research, said rising parking costs meant many people would try to avoid them - even at the risk of a penalty ticket.

Half of all drivers who admitted trying to avoid parking charges said they did so because fees were so extortionate, the firm claimed.

A further 13 per cent said they could not afford to pay the charges so would avoid them whatever the consequences.

But 17 per cent of those quizzed for the study said they had been hit with a parking ticket in the last two years.

Direct Line's Emma Holyer said: "Parking is a bone of contention for most drivers in the UK.

"Our research shows that, because of rocketing costs and limited spaces, drivers are literally forced to wittingly break the law -  and consequently be hit with fines in the process.

"If you are driving into a busy place, it's worthwhile doing some research to find out about any park-and-ride schemes or any cheap car parks in advance as it could save you serious money," she advised.

The parking charges quoted in the study were an average of the cost of parking for two hours in private and council-run car parks.

Nationwide, charges went up by an average of 25 per cent.

Elsewhere in the Midlands, the average cost of parking for two hours was:

Solihull - up 17 per cent from £1.81 in 2001 to £2.16 last year

Walsall - up from £1 in 2001 to £1.24 last year, an increase of 19 per cent

Dudley - up 22 per cent from 59p to 77p.

According to the figure, some charges including those in Hertfordshire and Kent, rose by 90 per cent.

Londoners fork out the most to park, with Westminster having the highest charge of £7.99 for two hours.

The cheapest two-hour parking in the UK costs 20p at places including Biggin Hill, in Kent, Painswick, Gloucs, and Wendover, Bucks.