A council spokesman said the increase would be the first since 2002 and was necessary to maintain car parks and the parking attendants service, which saw the council take over responsibility for enforcement from traffic wardens last year.

There are now 14 parking attendants employed by the council, replacing the four wardens who previously covered the city.

The spokesman said the increase in staff numbers was in response to complaints about illegal and inconsiderate parking, especially in shopping areas.

He said the council used the revenue generated from the charges to provide quality parking facilities in the city as well as funding the attendants.

“The attendants are responsible for enforcing parking regulations throughout Dundee with the aim, not of raising money from motorists, but of reducing congestion from inconsiderately parked vehicles, so improving pedestrian and road safety and ensuring access for emergency vehicles,” he said.

Responding to the suggestion higher charges might discourage people from coming into the city centre, the spokesman said providing quality parking at reasonable rates can help attract shoppers and boost the local economy.

“While the council provides this, it also recognises that there is a need to encourage people to consider public transport as an option to using the car and has attracted investment of more than £14 million in the last few years to improve bus travel infrastructure in the city,” he said.

“The result has been a growth rate of 6% in the use of public transport in Dundee over the last couple of years, one of the highest increases in the country.”

Under the new charging structure for off-street parking the cost will be unchanged for up to two hours; for two to three hours it will go up from £1.50 to £1.80; three to four hours from £2.50 to £2.80; four to five hours from £3 to £3.50; five to six hours from £3.50 to £4; over six hours from £5 to £5.50. Off-street (long stay) for up to four hours will rise from £2 to £2.30 and there will be a new charge of £4.50 for over four hours.

There will be no increase in the off-street charges for Broughty Ferry, which was welcomed by ward councillor Charles Webster in light of the upheaval there had been associated with traffic changes in and around Brook Street.

On-street parking charges in the city centre will go up from £1 to £1.30 for one hour; in Perth Road from £1 to £1.30 for up to two hours and from £2 to £2.30 for two to four hours.

The same increases will apply for Dudhope Street, Barrack Road, Hilltown and Dudhope Crescent Road.

All-day parking at Dudhope Castle will rise from £1.50 to £1.80.