Motorists in inner Auckland will soon have to pay for parking at night.
It is currently free to park in the central business district area after 6pm, but Auckland City Council wants to extend pay and display until 10pm. A trial is starting within a week in some spots.
The fee would be $2 per hour, half the price of parking before 6pm.
Transport Committee chair Ken Baguley says residents are taking up the parking spaces - making it hard for visitors to get to bars, restaurants and other businesses.
But Heart of the City chief executive Alex Swney says the council needs to provide better public transport if it's going to charge for parking at night.
The proposal is going out for public consultation later this month. The council says a final decision is yet to be made.
