Commuters will be priced off Cardiff streets under radical plans being considered this month.
The City Council wants to force drivers who travel into the capital to use park and ride schemes from the outskirts or public transport.
This will reduce congestion and pollution while raising revenue for the council and will help residents with cars to park closer to their homes, but they will have to pay if they go outside a designated street to shop or work anywhere else within a managed parking area.
The proposal – to introduce ‘parking zones’ within Parking Management Areas – would give residents a better chance to park on their street, or on adjoining roads close to their home – while reducing opportunities for commuter parking.
As well as increasing the number of parking spaces available to residents, blue badge holders, cycle & car clubs, and local businesses could also benefit from the plan.
Under the new scheme all on-street parking bounded within the areas south of the A48, west of River Rhymney, north of Cardiff Bay and east of the River Ely would be split into four distinct parking management areas with different restrictions in place for each.
They will be the City Centre, Cardiff Bay, Inner and Outer Parking Management Areas. Each area will be made up of a number of parking zones.
The proposals would bring Cardiff into line with most major cities in the UK, and if Cardiff Council’s Cabinet gives the go-ahead at its meeting on 18 January a 6-week consultation will take place with the public early in the New Year.