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METRO Parking Meters operating in the International Antarctic Centre Car Park
November 2006
How do you manage the car park for a popular tourist attraction when it is only 5 minutes walk to a busy international airport?
The International Antarctic Centre has been operating for 15 years and is located adjacent to New Zealand’s busy Christchurch International Airport.
With campaigns stimulating tourism growth and new airline services now operating, airline passenger movements are at record levels. While the airport offers 1700 spaces with free parking for the first 15 minutes in the uncovered car park, space will continue to be at a premium.
“A free car park will always be the most popular so our Centre’s car park was being constantly used by airport visitors. We had to find a way to make the 80 spaces available to our customers.” says Mike Hyde – Manager Corporate Services.
Last year the Centre introduced paid parking using the METRO pay & display system. “While our hourly rate is substantially lower than what is charged at the Airport it has had the desired affect and the ‘freeloaders’ have disappeared.”
The Antarctic Centre Management was mindful of the negative effect by charging its customers for both parking and an entrance fee to the attraction. “Our reason for introducing paid parking was not to seek extra revenue but to purge the ‘freeloaders’. We have achieved this objective and will now look into passing on some of this revenue as donations to Conservation Trusts and Associations that work with the rehabilitation of wounded and sick penguins. Hopefully a campaign of this nature will help soften the blow dealt to our customers - even if it is only $1 an hour.”