Many of you will have become aware from news reports recently and again this week that the City of Unley is commencing a Pay for Use Parking Trial along the Tram line in the Wayville area.

The News reports are correct. We are trialling charging for parking adjacent tram stations after previously struggling to help our property owners have parking near their homes for themselves, visitors (friends and family) or for tradies doing work on their properties.

This is a uniquely inner suburban council problem. It is particularly prevalent in our case along and adjacent to Greenhill Road and the Bay Tram. Commuters, to avoid paying parking fees in town opt for free parking in your street and catching the tram for free into town. This is no idle claim either on our part. A recent survey found that over 80% of vehicles parked in these regions are coming from outside the City of Unley.

The trial is aimed at ensuring that commuter parking occurs only in appropriate areas to better enable home owners access to their homes and employees or nearby businesses access to work. This is in other words about Council looking after the interests of their ratepayers without stopping commuters from parking.

With an investment on our part of some $ 70,000 Council was careful in its deliberations. We have determined we will reassess the benefits of the trial in 12 months and then determine if it is achieving our stated aim or not.

A small price to pay I would suggest for commuters at a maximum of $ 4.00 per day. This I trust commuters would prefer to the alternatives available to them paying for the tram or for in town parking.

Time will tell of course.