Free parking isn’t an unusual phenomenon, however when it comes to the city, things are a little different. CBDs are notorious for being limited in regards to parking. Free parking is basically impossible if you’re not driving around in the early hours of the morning. You might not be lucky even then, so you end up sleep deprived, wasting time and wasting fuel. One of the better alternatives is to rent your own space. You’ll have a reserved space for yourself for however long you need. But when the city council decides to make city parking free until January 31 2020, take advantage of it while it lasts.
Free Parking for Ballarat CBD Visitors
Ballarat CBD has let its visitors have free parking until the end of January 2020, in order to pave the way for new Smart parking meters. The older meters are being torn down, which is why parking from December 1 onwards is free. This applies to everywhere within the CBD, so you don’t have to worry about having issues with parking in that sense.
What about Time Limits?
Most of the parking meters have rates for the different time limits. It’s a fair question to ask as to if those time limits still apply when parking is free. The answer to this is yes. Time limits are still applicable to the parking spaces available in and around the CBD. Make sure that you don’t get towed or possibly fined for overstaying the space. All will be well, as long as you adhere to the road signs. Remember to always keep a lookout for them.
Why is there Free Parking in the CBD?
This is a valid question, simply because it’s so rare and unusual that something like this happens. The reason for this parking situation is that Ballarat CBD is planning on replacing all of its existing parking meters with Smarter meters. These meters allows coins, cards and a Smartphone app as forms of payment. Although most of the existing parking meters accept card payments, there is always room for improvement. With the coming of the Smartphone app, it explains why the council needs to replace the existing meters, since the technology is incompatible at the moment.
How will this help people?
In order to make sure that drivers are adhering to the parking and road signs, there will be marked numberplace recognition vehicles that will monitor and patrol the CBD in search for potential rulebreakers. There is also the fact that this is happening during one of the busiest times of the year, with both Christmas and New Years being included in that replacement window. The goal is to cause as little disruption as possible, however it’s quite impossible for this to happen given the circumstances. There will be free parking available in a city during Christmas. People will be taking advantage of this. The council hope that with the free parking, that residents in Ballarat are able to find some measure of peace during the holidays, now that they are able to shop in the CBD without having to worry about parking.
It’s not everyday that you will find yourself driving into the city, only to find out that your parking is free. At least, for as long as the sign specifies. As long as you adhere to the signs, your parking experience will be the same as any other. Remember, if you’re going into the Ballarat CBD, take advantage of the free parking while you can. It’s only available until the end of January, so get your Christmas and New Years shopping done soon and enter the New Year with free city parking.