Melbourne council defends parking fee rise ABCOnline
Melbourne City Councillors have defended their decision to increase parking fees in the inner city.
The fees are to go up 50 cents an hour, taking meter parking to $3.50 an hour.
The price rise comes after the State Government introduced its own levy, to force people to register inner-city car parking spaces.
Council spokesman Brian Shanahan says the new fees will be introduced in the new year but he says they will not unduly affect motorists.
"I think the petrol prices are far more impacting on motorists than parking charges. People have the option usually of public transport or driving in. I don't think 50 cents deters many people," he said.