Key Points
- Parking in five large Glasgow City Council-run city centre car parks will be free on Saturdays and Sundays throughout December leading up to Christmas.
- Glasgow City Council leader Ricky Bell has instructed officials at City Parking to implement the weekend initiative.
- Bell, who succeeded Susan Aitken as council leader in September, is scheduled to announce the measure at the State of the City Economy conference in Glasgow.
- City centre parking charges will also be frozen for next year, with Bell committing to not raising costs in the city centre for the next couple of years.
- The decision aims to address the cost-of-living crisis and remove financial barriers for residents and visitors travelling into the city centre for shopping, bars, and restaurants.
Glasgow (Glasgow Express) November 13, 2026 – Parking in five large council-run car parks across Glasgow city centre will be free of charge on Saturdays and Sundays throughout December, following an instruction issued by Glasgow City Council leader Ricky Bell to officials at City Parking.
The temporary measure, designed to run in the weeks leading up to Christmas, forms part of a broader commitment by the council leadership to address affordability in the city centre. Alongside the December weekend exemption, standard parking charges across the city will be frozen next year.
Why is Glasgow City Council making weekend parking free in December?
Ricky Bell, who assumed the role of Glasgow City Council leader from Susan Aitken in September, stated that the current cost of parking in the city centre has become too high. The initiative is set to be formally announced at the State of the City Economy conference in Glasgow.
Addressing the financial pressures facing residents and visitors, Bell noted that travel expenses can deter people from visiting local businesses. Bell stated:
“In a cost-of-living crisis, the cost of getting around town can be a barrier to folk accessing the town for shopping or a night out.”
What other transport affordability measures are in place in Glasgow?
While acknowledging existing public transport interventions, the council leader indicated that further action regarding private vehicle parking is necessary to support city centre footfall.
Bell stated: “The introduction of the bus fare cap and the removal of peak fares on trains have helped – but there is more I want to do about affordability.”
How long will Glasgow city centre parking charges remain frozen?
In addition to the free weekend parking throughout December, the council leadership has confirmed that motorists will not face price increases in the immediate future. Bell acknowledged that previous pricing strategies required adjustment.
Bell stated: “We need to put our hands up when we’ve not got something quite right – and I think we’ve pitched the price of parking in the city centre too high.”
Confirming the multi-year freeze on tariff increases, Bell stated:
“I’m committed to not raising parking costs in the city centre for the next couple of years – but I want to do more.”
Background
The cost of parking in Glasgow city centre has frequently been cited as a primary factor behind declining footfall, with shoppers and diners choosing alternative locations rather than visiting city centre retail outlets, bars, and restaurants. Prior to this announcement, Glasgow City Council had regularly faced criticism and accusations of waging a war on motorists through its parking tariffs and city centre transport policies. Following a change in council leadership in September, when Ricky Bell replaced Susan Aitken, the administration began reviewing city centre accessibility and pricing structures ahead of the State of the City Economy conference.
Prediction
For motorists, shoppers, and hospitality patrons across Glasgow and the wider metropolitan region, the removal of weekend parking fees in five major council-run facilities during December will directly reduce the overall cost of visiting the city centre during the peak festive retail and social season. Furthermore, the multi-year freeze on city centre parking charges will provide financial predictability for regular drivers, commuters, and evening visitors, potentially encouraging increased footfall for city centre retailers, bars, and restaurants without the immediate prospect of rising municipal parking tariffs.
