Parking in Perth city centre needs a radical shake up, a politician has said.
Peter Barrett urged council officials to “grasp the nettle” and address the concerns of residents and businesses.
The city centre councillor said there are “glaring inconsistencies” in charges across the Fair City, resulting in the underutilisation of on-street parking.
He is campaigning for a £2 all-day charge for Edinburgh Road and St Leonards Bank.
He added that councillors were being “fobbed off” by officers with excuses for not modernising car parking facilities or introducing user-friendly payment methods
He said: “People are fed up with the snail’s pace at which the council is moving on parking issues.
“The council needs to demonstrate that it is listening to local businesses, residents and councillors and then it needs to act decisively.
“Canal Street multi-storey car park needs to be brought up to date with new technology which enables pay on exit facilities, improvements to lighting and appearance, as well as road surfaces and markings.”
Mr Barrett also highlighted concerns that commuter parking problems are created by unrealistic and inconsistent charges for on-street parking.
He said: “Local businesses and residents look at all the empty parking spaces at Edinburgh Road on the South Inch and ask why is the council trying to charge £3.60 a day to park there?
“The parking meters here are losing money.
“We need a common sense approach which looks at supply and demand and what people are prepared to pay
“It makes no sense when you compare the cost of a day’s parking at the railway station which is £3, and their car park is oversubscribed, yet a short distance away St Leonards Bank and Edinburgh Road lie largely empty and the charges there are 60p a day dearer.
“It is time to grasp the nettle of these glaring inconsistencies and illogical and unrealistic charges.”