Once again, the Greater Shepparton City Council appears to have embroiled itself in controversy regarding the ongoing issue of car parking.
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Following several week's advertising on the Adviser front page, the council promoted its decision to make off-street council parking free, with timed limits.This was welcomed by most people following around six months of non-decision after the council's own survey about the Christmas free parking trial.
As of (at least) the week commencing July 6, the parking in the Fraser St area was designated as "free parking", with the lone parking meter disabled and bearing a sticker designating the area as free parking.
Last week, however, the council appears to have back-flipped on this decision. A new meter has been installed and metered parking has been re-introduced.
This has caused mass confusion among people parking in the area.
A quick check of cars revealed about half were without a ticket. Confusion reigned among new parkers, who didn't know which instruction to follow.
Fraser St doesn't go anywhere, being blocked off before the mall. It is logically used as a parking area for people looking to shop in the CBD.Free parking has long been identified by shop owners and customers alike as the single most useful tool to rejuvenate the dying CBD. This latest back-flip is yet another example that the council's priorities lie with a money grab, rather that the welfare of the Shepparton retail sector and its customers.
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