Starting last week, 16 carparks outside Mitre 10 Mega and on the opposite side of Andersons Bay Rd changed from all-day parking to 60-minute parking, taking away the ability for employees working in the area to park there for the duration of their shifts.
A Mitre 10 Mega employee said it was disheartening to see the parks consistently empty.
"You’ll get the one odd car there, but the whole stretch of street is just desolate — it’s not being used as it should.
"A lot of colleagues and myself find this so annoying because now we have to battle for a carpark on the surrounding streets and they [the P60 parks] remain empty," she said.
Andersons Bay Rd was not a place pedestrians often walked and most shoppers parked at whatever store they wanted to shop at, the employee said.
"[The new P60 carparks are] a waste of space and very frustrating."
A Dunedin City Council spokesman said the changes were considered following a request from the property owner of Mitre 10 Mega and Kmart, and aim to provide greater parking turnover in the area.
"The hearings committee considered three options, including a revised proposal reducing the number of unrestricted to short-term (P60) parks to be changed from 35 to 16 - and recommend council proceed with changes to 35 parking spaces along Andersons Bay Rd and McBride St.
"Council endorsed this recommendation."
