Broken pay and display machines

dan223

I park most weekdays in a council run car park, there are 5 pay and display machines in this car park, when I started parking in the car park, all the machines were working, however there are now only 2 machines working, one in the disabled area outside the main car park, and one actually in the main car park, all the others say out of order. Plus the machines that do work often refuse a number of coins, or swallow them, when they are perfectly fine as I get change from the bank as the machines do not give change (the cost for parking is £4.70).

I was wondering if anyone knows if the council are ok to still keep charging when the machines aren't working, I know there's a street pay and display somewhere else, and when there machines were not working for that street you could park for free.

I have no issue walking further to go to the machine, but its often walking across most of the car park to find one thats working, or "spot the queue" as there is now often a 5-10min queue of people using the same 1 machine, and the reason it takes so long is coins are rejected.

I contact the council and have had a couple of free passes when machines have swallowed my money, and since the end of October I have been fobbed of with "New machines are on the way" but they have yet to show.

Are they allowed to keep doing this? And causing misery to the many people that use this car park?

pogofish

Most councils now have it in their conditions that its your duty to go to another working machine if the nearest is out of order, so yes they can probably keep charging. Might be worth checking the T&Cs on the council website to confirm.

And in the past, I have had a parking ticket cancelled when I bought a ticket in the "wrong zone" (and more expensive) simply because that machine was visible and more accessable than the correct machine - which was away down the road, obscured by foliage.

however that many machines out of order is stretching matters somewhat, so it might be worth taking this up with your councillor directly to see if they will either stop charging short term or expidite the replacement.

Mankysteve

Does your council do online parking payment, Leeds does for there city center sites a bit of a pain to set up but its quite handy.

dan223

It doesn't its not a city centre its a car park near a train station. I can't really find any terms and conditions on the councils website either.

JulieM

With reference to the machines which reject coins, I understand that some newer coins are of a different metal which the machines won't accept. My local machines won't take the new shiny 5, 10, and 20 pence coins so I now try to keep a supply of older coins for parking. I know this isn't much help when the machines are broken, but could save a bit of time if you do manage to find a working machine.

I guess this is a national problem, maybe councils are waiting for new machines which will take the new coins.

dan223

Hi Julie, when I am using this car park mon-fri, the only option is for me to get change from the bank, as to keep some old coins for 4.70 every day, isn't possible. It tends to be an issue with pound coins rather than 20ps or 50ps.

JulieM

dan223 wrote: »

Hi Julie, when I am using this car park mon-fri, the only option is for me to get change from the bank, as to keep some old coins for 4.70 every day, isn't possible. It tends to be an issue with pound coins rather than 20ps or 50ps.

Sorry, I forgot you had to pay £4.70 to park each day, that much small change would weigh you down! I didn't realise the problem was with pound coins as well.

dan223

Yea its far from ideal and very frustrating, the council stop you parking in any roads without being about 20mins away. I have approached some local clubs that some people have recommended for parking, that let you pay monthly (cheaper as well) but I have been on the waiting list for months, and this is starting to get frustrating.

photome

Sounds like the coin mechs need cleaning/replacing.

Think you should complain to your local councillor

Quentin

dan223 wrote: »

....... I can't really find any terms and conditions on the councils website either.

The problem ts + cs are those that apply to parking without a ticket!

dan223

photome wrote: »

Sounds like the coin mechs need cleaning/replacing.

Think you should complain to your local councillor

I have complained to the people that are incharge of the carpark, and the will give a complementary parking pass if the machine has swallowed the money and keep saying new machines are on the way that will take card, but they have said this since October. They have had issues with people jamming 2x2p into the machines, which probably hasn't help the condition of these machines.

Quentin wrote: »

The problem ts + cs are those that apply to parking without a ticket!

Well I was looking around and I assume the signs as you enter the car park saying to pay and display the ticket or you will get fined etc is sufficient terms and conditions.