Winnipeg city council has approved a plan from the parking authority that seeks extended meter hours and increased rates.

However, no one is saying yet what exactly the changes will be. The city plans to hold public consultations before deciding on those.

The Winnipeg Parking Authority (WPA) recently put forth a business plan for 2011 that proposed a doubling of the $1 rate to park along Broadway, Portage Avenue and parts of Main Street during the daytime hours.

The proposal also calls for the rates to begin an hour earlier, at 8 a.m. and end three hours later, at 8:30 p.m

The rate for evening parking, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. would be $1, not $2, if the city goes with the WPA's recommendations.

The parking authority also sought an increase in the fine motorists pay for being over the time limit and being improperly parked. The proposal calls for that fee to jump to $60 from the current maximum of $40.

The discounted fine for drivers who pay early would rise to $30 from $20.

No dates have yet been set for the public consultations.