NEWPORT City Council is pressing ahead with its decision to reintroduce parking charges in the city – before reading our petition signed by thousands of traders and shoppers.

The council posted a public notice on page 32 of yesterday’s Argus entitled “Variation of Parking Charges 2013.”

The notice stated that “On 1 February 2013 Newport City Council…intends to vary the charges for car parking in the following car parks.”

It went on to detail the introduction of a flat rate of £1 for up to three hours parking in its Park Square, Hill Street, Riverfront, Stow Hill and Emlyn Street car parks as well as the council-run pay and display at Faulkner Road.

Three to five hours parking will cost £3.50 in all of those car parks except Faulkner Road where it will be £3.60 to park for anything more than three hours.

A stay of more than five hours in the car parks other than Faulkner Road will cost £4.50.

The move comes despite our petition, urging the council to reverse its decision to axe two hours of free parking, not yet being submitted to the council.

Kingsway car park free for 2 hours

TWO hours’ free parking remains in place in the Kingsway multi-storey car park.