First hour free at selected town centre car parks

September 24, 2013 at 9:16 am

Orkney Islands Council is introducing free town centre car parking from October 1.

Parking will be free for the first hour at the:

Albert Street Car Park, Kirkwall
Castle Street Car Park, Kirkwall
St Magnus Lane Car Park, Kirkwall
Gunn’s Close Car Park, Kirkwall
Ferry Inn Car Park, Stromness

Charges after the first hour will also be reduced from the summer prices – from 70p for 2 hours down to 50p. The charge for up to 3 hours will remain at £1.50.

OIC’s head of transportation and amenities, Brian Archibald, said: “We hope that the free first hour will encourage people to make more use of the Kirkwall and Stromness town centres for their everyday errands and take advantage of the diverse range of local businesses on offer there.”

But motorists must still get a ticket for the one-hour free parking — simply press the green button on the ticket machines. If drivers need to park for longer than one hour, coins will need to be inserted before pressing the button.

Usage of the car parks will be monitored and reported to a future OIC committee.