Parking Fees Getting Out Of Hand?

[Priestley]

Just got a bit of a shock after taking a family member to the Eye and Ear hospital on Victoria Pde. I parked in a Wilsons Parking garage with a big "Hospital Parking" sign outside. We were there for just over 4 hours and the total cost came to $45.

I've worked in the CBD for many years and never paid over $25 for parking at one of these places no matter how long I was there. Used to park at Crown casiono for $5 a day...

Have the prices been jacked up in the last 6 months or did I just manage to find the one place that charges excessive prices? Do hospital parking garages cost more?

Combine the cost of fuel and parking and a taxi would have been only a little more expensive

[R31Nismoid]

You went to a place that has amazingly high turnover - for a carpark, so yep, it was very expensive because of that.

They rort you stupid @ hospitals and similar places of public need.

Bad enough you are ill/sick of have a relo in the same situation, and they want to flog you even more for the experience.

That said - there is soooooo much street parking around that area that costs less than $4 for 8hrs all along Vic Pde and surrounding side streets

I live just down the road from there and have parked in that area for years. I always see people getting towed as well... poor bastards

[alr33x]

thats abt the going rate these days in teh city during business hours its friggin criminal i rarely go to teh city but if i have to meet clients etc im watchin the clock cos first hour is like $10-$12 then its like $28-$30 for two hours..

highway robbery.. i think hospital parking should be free not like your going there to hang out, we pay enough tax but eh personal opinion should help those in need.

[jezza boii]

Geeeeeeez. And I thought I was getting ripped off paying $7 a day to park at my work in Dandenong.

[Priestley]

That said - there is soooooo much street parking around that area that costs less than $4 for 8hrs all along Vic Pde and surrounding side streets

I'll definitely look for street parking in future. Unfortunately I was in a hurry (as most people are when looking for hospitals) and went to the closest one I could see. I assume this is what the owner of the car park is counting on. Didn't see a price board anywhere either, but I wasn't looking too hard.

To anyone who is in a similar situation - park, rush your patient in and then go back and move the car to a cheaper location! The first 30 minutes is usually less than $5.

[(OO)SKYLINE(OO)]

Damn man!

That sucks!

But you be surprised, there are some carparks that are about $5 - $10 flat rate.

Lygon St. was $5 flat rate and I went there last week.

Melbourne Central is about $8 - $10 flat rate.

The car park you went to, sounds like its about $11 an hour and cuz it is a hospital, they know you will want to park and take ppl in and they rip you off cause they can.

[Priestley]

Just checked their website and found the fees for this specific car park:

Day

0.0 - 0.5 hour $4.00

0.5 - 1.0 hour $15.50

1.0 - 2.0 hours $36.00

2.0 + hours $48.00 Max

Night & Weekend

$5.00 per hour, $15.00 Max

Early Bird Special

$16.00

I think I'm in the wrong business!

[West]

Try Tullamarine short term parking............

[bluejeans]

was just off a side street in chapel street and was packed for around 10 minutes - copped 109$ fine..

its a joke and now they are towing people like crazy

are taxes / registeration / gst on everything - not enough!?

[R31Nismoid]

^ Stonnington is possibly the worst council for that kinda thing mate, so don't be surprised.

The people patrol the hot-spot area's around Chapel like vultures, it's really disgusting.

As soon as you are 2mins over, you have a ticket without question... Friend of mine was fined 2am on a Sat morning for parking on a nature strip, thats how ridiculous it is!

I'll definitely look for street parking in future. Unfortunately I was in a hurry (as most people are when looking for hospitals) and went to the closest one I could see. I assume this is what the owner of the car park is counting on. Didn't see a price board anywhere either, but I wasn't looking too hard.

To anyone who is in a similar situation - park, rush your patient in and then go back and move the car to a cheaper location! The first 30 minutes is usually less than $5.

Yeah that's how they would get most people i think.

You aren't really of normal mind/thinking and so on, rushing, worried... BOOM $30+ parking fee's thanks...

It's really disgraceful that companies do that, but this is the corporate world of today, screw everyone as hard as you can for every cent.

[IOWNU]

I recall reading somewhere that Sydney, Melbourne, Perth have the most expensive parking fees in the world, after London.

Crown used to be good, 6 bucks all day but now they've also jacked prices.

[jjskyline79]

Try parking in England

EVERYWHERE charges you to park, unless you go out of town. infact on top of a road tax that is an average of $400 a year you also have to pay a congestion charge of $16 a day plus a toll charge or $2 per trip over the bridge and put one of the worlds most expensive petrol in it at $2.30 a litre

You could always go by train if you like but thats even more expensive and the service is shocking

[R31Nismoid]

You only have to pay congestion charge though if you live inside the zone and have a car ye?

And given the 2nd zone allocation seems to have been on hold... it's not "too bad" (still not saying it's good lol)

And also, as i always try to remember - it is proportional to your income.

If i was working in the UK i would be on more than i would be here (once you convert to pound), so you do have to gauge back to what is proportional at times.

Not saying its cheap, but it sounds a lot worse than realistically it is... especially given the amazingly decent transport system London has vs Melb.

I recall reading somewhere that Sydney, Melbourne, Perth have the most expensive parking fees in the world, after London.

Crown used to be good, 6 bucks all day but now they've also jacked prices.

Indeed so true, fee's are crazy.

Crown I think that was after 9:30am though ye for $5/day?

Before then was like $10 or $12... which still in my book is pretty reasonable. I used to park there daily when i was driving in from Tulla daily. Worked out perfectly.

I think they did put it up, but not that high? Well i say not high when you compare to everywhere else in Melb

[Downforce]

At Jam Factory (chapel st) the first hour is free! So not all places are tight arses with parking...

[RBPOWA-(TJ)]

Stonnington is possibly the worst council for that kinda thing mate, so don't be surprised.

The people patrol the hot-spot area's around Chapel like vultures, it's really disgusting.

yep, they put little stickers on their existing parking signs with new times and parking session.

you assume its the same sign cause you always go there, then BOOM! $117 parking fine!

At Jam Factory (chapel st) the first hour is free! So not all places are tight arses with parking...

FTW!

[Basti]

QV used to be 10 bux all day if you bought something from there worth >$1. can of V or the paper in the morning and you're sweet

[jjskyline79]

You only have to pay congestion charge though if you live inside the zone and have a car ye?

And given the 2nd zone allocation seems to have been on hold... it's not "too bad" (still not saying it's good lol)

And also, as i always try to remember - it is proportional to your income.

If i was working in the UK i would be on more than i would be here (once you convert to pound), so you do have to gauge back to what is proportional at times.

Not saying its cheap, but it sounds a lot worse than realistically it is... especially given the amazingly decent transport system London has vs Melb.

Indeed so true, fee's are crazy.

Crown I think that was after 9:30am though ye for $5/day?

Before then was like $10 or $12... which still in my book is pretty reasonable. I used to park there daily when i was driving in from Tulla daily. Worked out perfectly.

I think they did put it up, but not that high? Well i say not high when you compare to everywhere else in Melb

Sorry the charge applies to everyone weather inside or outside its a flat rate if you enter it or drive around inside they even charge you if you start inside it and leave the zone ie if you live there and work out of town

our min wage is £5.86 ALOT less then min wage here typical example i would be on 3 times more in the same industry in Oz

the Second zone was not put on hold its been expanded and now you also have a emissions charge as well as a congestion charge on top

Londons transportation system is not all that

late trains over crowded expensive, broken down as it was privatized many years ago. A few leaves on the track and they shut the whole track down and they even made a song about it

A few years ago our local football team made the playoff finals at Wembley. The 2% extra demand as a result of this, throw the trains into complete caos. The next year we did the same thing did they learn from there mistake ER NO yet the price had gone up £5 per train ticket

Edited March 9, 2010 by jjskyline79

[Basti]

:) :down:

love the song

[R31Nismoid]

Sorry the charge applies to everyone weather inside or outside its a flat rate if you enter it or drive around inside they even charge you if you start inside it and leave the zone ie if you live there and work out of town

our min wage is £5.86 ALOT less then min wage here typical example i would be on 3 times more in the same industry in Oz

the Second zone was not put on hold its been expanded and now you also have a emissions charge as well as a congestion charge on top

Londons transportation system is not all that

late trains over crowded expensive, broken down as it was privatized many years ago. A few leaves on the track and they shut the whole track down and they even made a song about it

A few years ago our local football team made the playoff finals at Wembley. The 2% extra demand as a result of this, throw the trains into complete caos. The next year we did the same thing did they learn from there mistake ER NO yet the price had gone up £5 per train ticket

You & I need to have a bit of a chat in coming months then - beers will be on me.

Handy to know something with first hand info to make sense of it

[Charles89]

Crown I think that was after 9:30am though ye for $5/day?

Before then was like $10 or $12... which still in my book is pretty reasonable. I used to park there daily when i was driving in from Tulla daily. Worked out perfectly.

I think they did put it up, but not that high? Well i say not high when you compare to everywhere else in Melb

Yup, don't think there's flat rate anymore :S

But I park at Crown for free anyway

Thanks to a little trick a dealer told me once.