Auckland Transport (AT) has proposed introducing evening paid parking in Ponsonby to reduce congestion, parking infringements, and pressure on nearby residential streets caused by the area’s vibrant nightlife. Reported by Stuff.
Under the plan, parking fees would apply from 6pm to 9pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays across key parts of Ponsonby, Richmond, and Rose Roads, as well as nearby streets such as Tole, Pember Reeves, and Brown Streets.
AT also plans to expand the resident parking zone to Kelmarna Avenue and Buller Street to discourage commuter parking and create 10-minute pick-up/drop-off zones for food delivery drivers.
Parking rates will remain at $2.50 per hour for the first two hours. AT’s group manager for transport network planning, Andrew McGill, said the goal is fairness and turnover, not revenue.
“This will make parking much fairer and bring relief to local residents,” McGill said.
Ponsonby has been a hotspot for parking issues, with over 12,000 infringement tickets issued this year alone, according to AT’s head of parking compliance, Rick Bidgood.
“Parking in Ponsonby during the evening has become a free-for-all,” he noted. “Many people we fine simply don’t pay their tickets.”
With more than 20,000 vehicles passing through Ponsonby Road daily, AT says the new measures aim to improve access for customers, residents, and delivery drivers, while discouraging unsafe practices like double-parking and overnight parking in loading zones.
The proposed changes are part of a broader effort to make parking management in one of Auckland’s busiest entertainment hubs more efficient and equitable.
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