Parking charges in town centres are a fixture of life across Scotland.
But in Fife, the charges differ depending on which town you are in.
It’s free in Glenrothes, Leven and Cowdenbeath.
And in Inverkeithing you can park all day for just £2.50.
However, in larger towns such as Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline, you’ll pay as much as £3.80 for a four-hour stay.
But why doesn’t Fife Council have a uniform car parking charge across the whole region?
Well, there are two answers – demand and ownership.
Basically, the busier the town and the more in demand the car parks, the more you’ll pay.
And if the council doesn’t own the car parks – like in Glenrothes – it has no control over charging.
We’ve looked at parking charges in car parks in different town centres and spoken to Fife Council about the reasoning.
Parking charges in each Fife town
St Andrews
0-2 hours £1.10
2-4 hours £2.20
More than 4 hours £3.80
Anstruther
0-1 hour 70p
1-2 hours 90p
2-3 hours £1.20
Cupar
0-2 hours 50p
2-4 hours £1.10
More than four hours £2.20
Dunfermline Carnegie Drive East
0-1 hour £1.10
1-2 hours £1.70
2-3 hours £2.20
Other Dunfermline car parks
0-2 hours £1.10
2-4 hours £2.20
More than four hours £3.80
Inverkeithing
Chapel Place car park 5am to 9.30am £2.50
Kirkcaldy
It’s complicated. There are 12 town centre car parks with several different price structures. But the four long-stay ones charge:
0-2 hours £1.10
2-4 hours £2.20
More than 4 hours £3.80
Glenrothes
Free
Leven
Free
Cowdenbeath
Free
What does Fife Council say?
Service manager Susan Keenlyside said car parking is managed to improve the vitality of town centres and reduce congestion by encouraging people onto public transport.
“Many of Fife’s parking arrangements are historic and often reflect local arrangements appropriate to that particular area,” she said.
“While parking charges in key town centres are consistent, some have been tailored to reflect local demand and many areas of Fife have no council parking charges.
“This is either because the parking is not council owned, such as areas of Glenrothes, or demand is low enough that there’s no need to manage parking through charges.”
Demand for parking is regularly reviewed.
And as shopping patterns continue to change, the council is working with communities to ensure measures are appropriate.
Income from parking charges in Fife pays for the management and maintenance of car parks.
And any left over cash is used to support sustainable travel projects.
