There have been calls to extend the free parking time at public parking lots in Bongseon Market and Mudeung Market in Gwangju's Nam-gu district to help revitalize these markets.
On June 16, Jung Changsu, a member of the Gwangju Namgu Council, stated during the 312th regular session's "5-Minute Free Speech," "Currently, the public parking lots at Bongseon Market and Mudeung Market switched to a paid, unmanned payment system in October 2023 and January this year, respectively. All users are given one hour of free parking, after which a fee of 200 won is charged for every 10 minutes. However, one hour of free parking is too short for customers to shop at the market and also enjoy a meal or a cup of tea," he said.
He pointed out, "There are frequent cases where people rush because they are conscious of the parking time, or avoid visiting altogether. This customer inconvenience directly affects the daily sales of market merchants."
He continued, "I proposed to the executive branch that the free parking time be extended to two hours during lunchtime and four hours during dinner time, but the relevant department expressed concerns about a decrease in parking turnover and a reduction in non-tax revenue. Recently, a method where merchants purchase prepaid parking tickets and provide them to customers has been discussed as an alternative, but this simply shifts the burden onto the merchants," he warned.
He also stated, "Since public parking lots are facilities established with Nam-gu district funds and are operated directly to revitalize the market business area, the administration should be willing to bear some of the burden, and now is the time to focus on protecting the local economy and neighborhood businesses." "As national policy is currently centered on supporting vulnerable groups and small business owners, local policies should also be aligned with this direction," he emphasized.
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