Experts are warning drivers about the costs they face when parking this year as councils up and down the country look set to increase their prices.
New research has found that six councils across the country have either introduced car parking prices since January or plan to do so in the coming months.
This comes as drivers struggle to deal with the growing cost of motoring, with fuel prices, car insurance, vehicle excise duty and repair prices all rising.
While parking prices have always been an issue for drivers, they could be hammered even further as one council in particular has proposed to increase its price bands by 150 per cent.
Drivers have admitted to struggling with the rising cost of motoring
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North East Lincolnshire Council announced in December that it would raise prices at its popular Cleethorpes parking locations this year.
This includes doubling the prices of some roads to park for one hour from £1 to £2, including those closest to the coast.
Other councils including Cheshire West and Chester Council will increase parking fees from 20p to 50p for a two-hour stay, representing a 150 per cent rise.
While these prices may seem cheap, drivers who rely on those roads to park for work, including builders, could see a dramatic increase in the amount they spend every month.
Brannan Coady, CEO of YourParkingSpace, blamed inflation for the dramatic increase in the rate of parking charges being seen across the country.
He added that councils were being forced to uprate their prices because many have their finances stretched following high-profile councils effectively declaring bankruptcy.
The expert said: “For many councils, these increases were the first for several years, but in some cases, we saw multiple increases over a year.
“These rises are just another example of hard-hit motorists being targeted by councils, which could ultimately have a detrimental impact on the high street.
“Even though some rises may look like small amounts on face value, people are facing increases across all fronts and it all starts adding up quickly.”
A number of other councils are consulting on whether to increase parking charges for on-street and car parks to raise funds.
This comes as other local authorities launch measures to charge drivers for permits based on the emissions output of their vehicles as petrol and diesel drivers face higher charges.
The emissions-based charging schemes have been popularised in recent years with councils across London starting to introduce the measures to boost air quality and discourage the use of polluting vehicles.
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Experts have accused councils of 'targeting' drivers with parking charges
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Under plans from Hackney Council, petrol and diesel drivers could see their parking permits rise to over £1,200 by the end of the decade.