The National Capital Authority has reported a steep decline in parking revenue, as public servants shifted to working from home and national institutions shut due to COVID-19.
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The NCA's latest annual report shows parking revenue fell $1.2 million on the year before, after increasing year-on-year since it was introduced in 2014.
While it still made $18.2 million in parking revenue in 2019-20, it was $3.5 million less than budgeted.
Parking fines also fell slightly, from $2 million in 2018-19 to $1.8 million in 2019-20.
Rental income also fell from $272,000 to $178,000, as the authority gave rental relief to its tenants.
It meant the NCA had an operating loss of around $844,000 last financial year.
There would be no relief in sight as the pandemic continued, the authority said.
"The COVID-19 pandemic will continue to impact NCA's revenue from parking services, particularly while 'working from home' arrangements are encouraged by the ACT government," it said.
"Rent revenue will continue to be impacted due to the continuation of rent relief until at least the end of December 2020. It is difficult to estimate the total future financial impact due to the uncertainty of when COVID-19 restrictions will be fully lifted."
It's been a tough year in the Parliamentary Triangle.
Then the coronavirus pandemic hit in March, forcing national institutions and offices to shut due to social distancing restrictions.
The price of parking in the Parliamentary Triangle has risen from $12 to $15 dollars a day in the six years since paid parking was introduced in the area to free up more spaces for visitors to the national institutions.
The NCA introduced a phone app last month for motorists to pay for parking, with parking officers to detect infringements using cameras mounted on their vehicles that recognise number plates.
