The City of Hamilton has offered an explanation for its new $81 fee at the City Hall car park.

A sign at the location has prompted a stir on social media, with the rates set to range from $2 per hour for three hours, a total of $16 for a four-hour stay, and $81 for any longer than that.

Today, the City released a statement advising that the fee is an incentive for motorists to keep their stays short when the paid barrier system becomes fully operational from Monday, August 22.

“Extra tariff charges apply after the three-hour maximum limit, to discourage motorists from overstaying the limit,” it stated.

“City Hall car park has long been a short-stay parking lot, with a maximum stay of three hours. That remains the case.

“The rate is $2 per hour. Therefore the first three hours is a total of $6. If a motorist exceeds the three-hour limit, ordinarily they would receive a parking ticket. In this case as the car park barrier system does not require ticketing for overstays, the motorist is charged an additional $10, taking the total to $16 for up to four hours.

“Keeping in mind this is a maximum stay three-hour car park, this can be considered lenient. However, upon reaching and overstaying four hours, the motorist is charged an additional $65 tariff, taking the total fee for four or more hours to $81.

“It is the City’s hope that this car park be used as intended, for stays up to three hours and that the higher tariffs will serve as an incentive to do so. Motorists who stay within the three-hour limit are not impacted in any way by the higher tariffs.”

The tariffs were approved in a council meeting on May 4, according to the statement, approved by the minister a week later.