Someone’s Sunday ruined

A Dunedin City Council parking infringement notice adorns a car parked in a P5 zone in George St around 2.30pm yesterday afternoon.

Paid Sunday parking began in some CBD streets yesterday, while George St, the Octagon and Princes St remained free with time restrictions enforced.

A woman paying for parking in Hanover St yesterday, who declined to give her name, said the changes were "not ideal", and would make her think twice about coming into the central city.

"We pay enough in fricking rates," she said.

The Otago Daily Times saw two drivers leave their vehicles in paid enforcement areas without paying in a 10-minute span yesterday afternoon.

Councillors agreed to introduce the charges earlier this year with the intention of encouraging vehicle turnover for more customers to benefit local businesses.

Charges are now in place seven days a week, 9am-6pm — except where signs indicate otherwise — in parts of the CBD as agreed by the council.

Council staff said $150,000 in Sunday parking revenue had been included in council budgets, and no additional staff hours were required to cover Sunday enforcement.