The change has already taken effect, though its impact will take longer to register.
Perth and Kinross Council introduced revised parking charges on 27 April, reducing the cost of long-stay parking in the city’s multi-storey car parks in an attempt to alter how space is used across the centre. The adjustment brings prices at sites such as Kinnoull Street and Canal Street into line with other long-stay locations, cutting the cost of a full day’s parking from £12.80 to £6.40.
The decision reflects a practical problem rather than a new policy direction. Multi-storey car parks, while centrally located, have been comparatively underused, while on-street and short-stay spaces remain in higher demand. By lowering the cost of longer stays in structured car parks, the Council is seeking to shift that balance, encouraging drivers to move off the street and into designated facilities.
The revised structure applies not only within Perth itself but across Council-managed parking in surrounding towns including Crieff, Blairgowrie, Pitlochry and Dunkeld. The aim is consistency, both in pricing and in how parking is understood by residents and visitors moving between locations.
What is being tested is behavioural. If drivers respond to the lower cost by using multi-storey sites more frequently, short-stay spaces at street level may become more available. That, in turn, is expected to improve access to shops and services and reduce the friction caused by circulating traffic searching for parking.
The changes were agreed as part of the Council’s budget for the year, alongside wider investment in the city centre. This includes a £200,000 programme focused on visible improvements such as cleaning, repairs and the treatment of vacant units, as well as longer-term projects intended to increase footfall, including a planned leisure development at Thimblerow.
Council officials have framed the pricing change as part of a broader effort to make the city centre more accessible and usable. The outcome, however, depends on whether motorists alter established habits in response to the new rates.
Full details of the updated parking charges are available via the Council’s website:
https://www.pkc.gov.uk/article/15037/Parking-charges
For now, the adjustment is modest in administrative terms. Its significance lies in whether a reduction in price is sufficient to redirect movement through the city, and in doing so, reshape how its centre is used.
