Parking juggernaut NCP(National Car Parks) is increasing the prices at 38 of its 104 London car parks just in time for a rush of visitors to the capital for the Olympic Games.

A car park in Victoria, near one of London’s busiest train and tube stations, for example, will see prices rise 40 per cent during the duration of the Games. A day's parking will now cost an eye-watering £60 rather than the £36 it previously charged.

NCP says that the parking tariff rises are down to ensuring the car parks manage to operate under pressure for the duration of the biggest sporting spectacle on earth.

Some of the car parks saw price increases on Monday, while others were hit with hikes over the weekend. And a car park in Broadwood Terrace, close to Earl’s Court which hosts the volleyball event, will see prices rise 45 per cent, from £22 to £40 a day. Some of the increases are more modest, such as a car park in Regents Park charging £40 instead of £35. 

However, the price hikes will be seen as simple Olympic profiteering by some motorists looking to use their cars during the Games. But NCP has hit back at claims it is hiking prices to take advantage of extra visitors in the capital in the coming weeks and says that the rises are temporary and will go back to normal after the Games.

It says that in order to ensure things operate efficiently, a number of its centrally located car parks needed extra investment due to greater expected demand. In addition, it says it has followed advice from the Metropolitan Police, who advised NCP to ensure car parks in key locations across London were fully-staffed during the Games period.

A spokesman said: ‘To allow for the operations of the car parks to continue under this pressure, we have had to invest in additional frontline colleagues who have been recruited and fully trained prior to the Olympics, so that they are ready to work for the duration of the games and provide our car parks with skilled staff both day and night which will help make them a safer environment for customers during this period.’

沪江英语快讯：随着奥运会的来临和大批游客的涌入，伦敦的停车点也开始了疯狂的涨价。多数停车点在周末及周一就完成了涨价。维多利亚交通要道的停车费在奥运期间涨价40%。一天的停车费60英镑，而之前才收费36英镑。一些想趁着奥运期间驾车看赛的人认为此举有乘火打劫之嫌，但有关部门解释涨价是需求增长而额外投资的后果，奥运结束后价格将恢复正常水平。