Two decades ago, when council undertook a significant upgrade at Echo Point, it installed parking meters for buses to help cover the costs.
The result? The bus companies, mostly Sydney-based, point-blank refused to pay.
Instead, drivers moved further away, either up Lurline Street or into side streets away from the meters, forcing their passengers – often elderly – to traipse the extra distance down and then back up the hill to where they could park for free.
In desperation, the owner of the Three Sisters Plaza offered to pay council $14,000 a year if it would take the meters away. And council did, leaving the area in front of the plaza a free drop-off zone and returning business to the place.
The price paid increased gradually over the years, rising to $15,840. In August, 2015, a revised licence with Sevenex (the owner) was drawn up with an annual fee of $16,632. But it was never signed, leaving the arrangement on a month-by-month basis for the lesser amount.
In December, Sevenex stopped paying.
There is now no annual payment to council to compensate for the absence of bus/coach parking meters.
The issue is canvassed in the revised visitor infrastructure investment plan, to be tabled at next week’s council meeting.
The new plan recommends that 12 pay and display parking for buses and coaches be introduced at Echo Point in the 2018-19 year, along with consultation with affected parties about the move.
It is estimated it will cost $480,000 over 10 years, and return revenue of $2.8 million over the same period.
“It is vital that council develop a communication strategy to inform tour/coach operators and the tourism industry about why the coach parking fees are being introduced and how the revenue generated will be used to improve visitor infrastructure, including better support facilities for bus/coach operators,” the report said.
The report also recommends council investigate a bus/coach parking coupon scheme across the entire region, which would cost $6.1 million to implement over a decade and return revenue of $11 million.
Cr Daniel Myles, who was on council when the meters were originally installed – then removed – said he hoped they worked this time around.
"The cost of the meters is not excessive but the experience in 2004 was that bus operators felt they should not pay for bringing us customers! They refused to use the metered space and parked further away.
“I welcome the interaction with the industry group, Bus NSW and will keep an eye on the financial returns of this project," he said.
