$2 flat fee is just too much for too little

The reaction to our city's new parking meters has been strong and sustained. Our newsroom has been peppered with questions."How is it fair that I have to feed $2 into a meter at 5.55pm for five minutes of paid parking?""Why am I trawling for a spot in a clogged Woolies car park right next to an empty Burelli St?"Again and again, two problems draw comments from exasperated motorists: the half-hour zones and the $2 flat fee. It seems to us that if these problems were solved, Wollongong would soon make its peace with parking meters. And the solutions seem so simple.First step - re-program the meters to allow pro-rata charges at a rate of $1 per hour. No matter the logic behind council's decision to go with a flat rate, it's just not fair. And far from keeping things simple, it has actually created a lot of confusion as people grapple with the idea that they have to pay the same fee no matter what zone they are in. Pro-rata parking works in streets and car parks all over Australia. What could be simpler?Next step - change the half-hour zones to one-hour zones and make all areas free for up to 15 minutes. This will balance the needs of those who wish to duck into town on a quick errand and those who need more than 30 minutes.If the ultimate goal is to improve traffic flow, our suggestions should be just the ticket.