Perth and Kinross Council has denied that the barrier system at the South Inch car park has resulted in a £30,000 loss of revenue.
Figures obtained by The Courier show a staggering drop in income for January to December of last year compared to money made the same period for 2014.
From January to December last year takings were £228,000, compared to £257,000 in the same period the previous year.
While 2014 also saw a drop in income from the previous 12-month period, the difference was just £4,600.
Critics say initial failures in the implementation of a state-of-the art barrier system are at the root of the loss, something Perth and Kinross Council has denied.
Barriers at the site, which were installed last spring, had previously been raised at 6pm, allowing some drivers who have been parked at the site for several hours to leave without paying. In April the rules were changed so that the barriers remain lowered 24 hours a day.
In June, July and August, 2015 takings were down between £3-4 thousand compared to the same months in 2014, with only January and November having takings above the previous year’s figures
Income from parking fines at the site has also dropped dramatically, down to £150 from £1,500.
Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Alexander Stewart, whose council ward covers Perth City centre, said: “The car park has become more popular because it’s pay on exit. Now every time you see it its nearly full.
“It’s a phenomenal difference between the last two years. It’s been a fiasco for some time.
“Raising the barriers has had an impact. People could leave without paying, so there’s no question that that had an impact – and the council did not negate that so there was a detrimental effect on funds.”
A spokeswoman for Perth and Kinross Council said: “There is some difference in revenue from the South Inch Car Park in 2015-16 in comparison to previous years.
“However as the full figures provided also show, the amounts taken in payment vary from month to month across all three years.
“The figures we provided additionally show a downward trend in revenue from the South Inch Car Park since 2013-14. It would therefore be misleading to suggest the introduction of barriers and pay on foot partway through 2015-16 as the sole factor for this trend.
“We monitor the revenue from our parking provision across Perth and Kinross as a matter of course. We are also part way through the current trial of revised parking arrangements in Perth city centre and will be assessing the impact of these changes in due course.”
