The Greater Manchester town that’s seen the biggest hike in parking fees

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Oldham has seen one of the biggest increases in car parking costs across the UK in the last two years. The council has doubled its fees since 2022, making it the third biggest increase among local authorities.

Drivers in Oldham have seen fees hiked from 88p to £1.66 since 2022, according to Freedom of Information Requests made by Churchill Motor Insurance.

Only Sandwell Council in the West Midlands (who raised their fees from 40p to 98p) and Renfrewshire Council in Scotland (from 60p to £1.25) have seen bigger percentage increases. READ MORE: A single day at Manchester Airport in the 1980s in candid photos A spokesperson for Oldham council responded: “Almost every council in the country charges for parking and we understand people do not want to pay for it and how unpopular increases are. “But any increase in charges isn’t about raising money for the council. “The parking service has to be funded and by law, any surplus money generated by parking fees and charges must be spent on improving public transport, road safety schemes and air quality or environmental improvements.

This includes helping to maintain our roads, pavements and cycle routes and fixing potholes and other improvements. The costs of carrying out these works have all increased in recent years.” They also encouraged people to use public transport and alternative forms of transport instead.