Parked cars on Dublin's South Circular Road Source: Shutterstock/Casa nayafana

DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL has approved draft bye-laws which will increase on-street parking rates in the city centre from July.

Last night, councillors approved the draft bye-laws which include proposals to broaden the areas where parking charges apply amid council plans to expand ‘high demand’ red and yellow zone areas across the city.

Changes to the city’s parking bye-laws will result in increased charges for the first time since 2008 with proposals to raise the charge paid by motorists in the yellow zone from €2.90 to €3.20 per hour, and in the red zone from €2.40 to €2.70 an hour. Parking charges in green zone will remain at €1.60.

The changes mean that parking charges would increase in the area of Phibsborough around the Mater Hospital, in Kilmainham, near the South Circular Road and Dolphin’s Barn, south of the city centre in Ranelagh and Rathmines, and to east of the city near the 3Arena.

“The rationale is to reflect the increased demand for parking in those areas,” DCC parking enforcement officer Dermot Stevenson told the council’s Transport committee last week.

“We want to discourage all day commuter parking and long-term parking in those areas and allow residents in those areas the right to park.”

For Parking Tag users, yellow zone charges will increase to €3.10 while red zone charges will increase to €2.60. It’s also proposed to introduce a €9 per hour coach parking charge in the city.

Under the proposed bye-laws, there is no increase in the charge paid by residents for annual or biennial parking permits, or in the cost of 24-hour parking permits for their visitors.

The increased rates are set to come into effect on 1 July with the draft bye-laws due to be put out for public consultation in the next few weeks.

With reporting by Stephen McDermott