Parking charges in Plymouth are set to rise for the first time in two years, and the city council will no longer cover the service fee for payments made via the RingGo mobile app.

Hourly on-street parking will increase by 20p to £2.40, lower evening charges will be scrapped, and inflationary rises will apply to some short-stay car parks, permits, and disabled parking bay applications. However, long-stay parking charges will remain unchanged.

The council expects the changes to generate an additional £685,000 over the next year, coming into effect on Monday, April 14.

Since the pandemic, the council has covered the 20p RingGo charge when people pay via mobile, costing £200,000 annually. It now wants drivers to pay this fee to align Plymouth with other authorities.

Cabinet member for transport Cllr Mark Coker said the changes were necessary due to rising costs and demand.

“These changes are essential for ensuring the sustainability of our services and making our parking system more user-friendly,” he said. “By moving to a single charging period and adjusting fees, we are addressing long-standing issues and aligning our charges with other cities.”

Switching from separate daytime and evening tariffs to a single period from 6 am to midnight will ensure motorists receive their full parking time, rather than losing minutes if parking is booked close to a rate change.

The council will spend £10,000 on advertising, signage, and system updates. It aims to raise £135,000 from on-street parking increases, £280,000 from off-street parking changes, and £80,000 from permits and services.

The one-hour parking options at Western Approach and Mayflower House Court long-stay car parks will be removed, but overall tariffs will remain unchanged to support shoppers, visitors, and employees in the city centre.

A campaign will remind drivers they can use any remaining parking time in other locations.

The maximum stay in shoppers’ car parks will increase from three to five hours.

Fees for disabled parking applications will also rise: applying for a disabled parking space will go up from £40 to £43, while installation and remarking costs will increase from £150 to £188.

The council said these increases would protect services by removing financial subsidies.