Re-introduction of parking charges as city gets back to normal

Charges were suspended and city council multi-storey car parks were closed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in response to the drastic fall in vehicle numbers as people adhered to the initial raft of social distancing guidelines.

But following recent announcements by the Government, including permission for non-essential retail to open from June 15, there is now a need to ensure the city’s roads and parking facilities are used correctly to ensure traffic can flow as freely and safely as possible.

Free parking for NHS staff, health and social care workers and NHS volunteer responders displaying the relevant pass will remain in place.

However, for everyone else, all surface-level car parks and on-street fee-paying areas will resume charging – and in recognition of the fact that more vehicles are expected to be out and about, three city council car parks will also be re-opened (in addition to the Snow Hill multi-storey that has remained open) on their normal fee-paying basis from June 15:

• Town Hall multi storey car park
• Dudley Street underground car park
• Jewellery Quarter multi-storey car park

Their use will be kept under close review and a decision on re-opening the remaining multi-storey sites will be made in due course.

Social distancing measures will be introduced in lifts and stairwells where possible with appropriate signs and reminders to enable people to stay as safe as possible. Payment for parking can also be done in a contactless way via the RingGo service.

The free parking for NHS staff, health and social care workers and NHS volunteer responders will be maintained until the Government withdraws this concession. Those eligible for this concession can obtain the required pass from their employer and are encouraged to use car parks rather than on-street spaces which are primarily for short-stay parking.

Cllr Waseem Zaffar, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Birmingham City Council, said: “The people of Birmingham and those that travel into the city have been brilliant at following the social distancing guidelines over the last three months.

“As we move further away from the coronavirus peak, an increasing number of shops and other facilities will start to re-open in line with Government guidance, which means that the traffic on our streets, which had plummeted in March and April will start to increase again.

“That means we need to reintroduce the parking charges and enforcement that ensures vehicles park responsibly and safely, enabling those using our highways network to get from A to B as efficiently and effectively as possible. We hope that by giving two weeks’ notice people are able to plan and prepare accordingly as we enter the next phase of the city’s response to COVID-19.”