Parking stories in the News/media

Snakes_Belly

The_Slithy_Tove said:

Umkomaas said:

I'm no techie, but at one time (when 4G wasn't even rolled out), 3G internet access on my iPhone was just about adequate. Now I have 4G, whenever I enter a 3G zone, the internet is well beyond useless. Not sure whether providers have throttled back on 3G, or whether even in its original form it can no longer cope with internet requirements. Any techie?

A combination of things.

Pure 3G (rather than Edge "E" or HDMA "H") is actually quite a poor data rate in today's terms - worse than your poor ADSL home connection.

Data loads are higher than before. No longer simple HTML web sites with small graphics, designed for poor data rates. Web pages (and by extension data send to and fro for apps) is much "richer" (i.e. data heavy), with more graphics, embedded video, etc. etc. Add all the traffic generated for the ads (back to embedded videos) and it just adds up. Some web pages, you find (when using an ad blocker) that the advertisement traffic can be 90% of the actual payload, which is ridiculous.

The two main issues are 

1) That the VRN input into the meter does not match with the VRN recorded on the ANPR.

PARKED WITHOUT PAYMENT OF THE PARKING TARIFF FOR THE VEHICLE REGISTRATION MARK OF THE VEHICLE ON THE SITE.

2) That drivers are paying with a card which appears to be accepted and then get a message one hour later to say that the transaction is void. No tickets are issued so there is no evidence of payment.

There has also been issues with drivers not being able to pay with the app and going over the 10 mins.

Issues also with parking outside of the charging period which is 7.30 am to 18.30 pm. 

Does this sound like problems with the signal and network please?  
   

AnotherForumite

The above has nothing to do with the Network as, in the event of a poor signal, the terminal will store the data until such time as the Network allows; although a card transaction may be declined if the terminal can't speak to the network.

Any issues with incorrect VRN are 100% down to user error, as is the case where the transaction is declined.

To reiterate, the screen will always display what has been entered, so the user has the option to correct it before pressing the 'confirm' button; and the screen will always tell the user if the transaction has been declined i.e. in both scenarios, the user has failed to concentrate on what they are doing, either when entering their reg initially or by failing to monitor the screen.

I personally don't agree with the policy on insisting that payment is made within 10 mins of arrival in an ANPR setting (unless also P&D), as long as the driver is mindful that payment is required from when they entered; not from the time of making payment.

Snakes_Belly

"Any issues with incorrect VRN are 100% down to user error, as is the case where the transaction is declined."

I cannot believe that so many people that have fallen foul of two small car parks have input their VRN incorrectly.  It is not possible that this could happen to so many people.

The meters are accepting payment and then an hour later a message is sent to say that the payment has been declined. As with the above issues there are multiple PCN's issued for this transgression.

This is a high net worth area and it's unlikely that funds would not be available.

 

Le_Kirk

As has been said many times before (and by me) if it was a PROPER car park and the ANPR camera tied up with the PDT, it would be impossible for a motorist to input an incorrect VRM but of course that would remove money-making opportunities.

Trainerman

Agreed. @Le_Kirk I was typing something similar when you beat me to it. Further, it is surely statistically impossible that all errors are as @AnotherForumite claims while spouting the party line.

The logical deduction then Watson, is that the systems are faulty.

Half_way

If an incorrect VRN is entered then the system should reject it and ask the user to try again or get help 
If a machine accepts an incorrect VRN then this is a fault of the machine/process.

AnotherForumite

Snakes_Belly said:

"Any issues with incorrect VRN are 100% down to user error, as is the case where the transaction is declined."

I cannot believe that so many people that have fallen foul of two small car parks have input their VRN incorrectly.  It is not possible that this could happen to so many people.

The meters are accepting payment and then an hour later a message is sent to say that the payment has been declined. As with the above issues there are multiple PCN's issued for this transgression.

This is a high net worth area and it's unlikely that funds would not be available.

 

You will be surprised how many people enter the incorrect reg, it’s ridiculous; however, most operators identify minor errors (via a manual search) and void any PCNs without the customer knowing (though some can slip through the net, as fuzzy whitelist matching not currently available from the main IT provider).

Even though they use their car every day, many people don’t know their reg and typically guess or look back at their car from afar and mess it up. 

They are always adamant that they entered the reg correctly, just like when you enter a password incorrectly when logging into a website, in your head your convinced you entered it correctly the first time round.

With the cards, if network is poor, the transaction will be declined BUT the screen will ALWAYS tell the user as such; however, the user will be chatting to their mate/children or whatever and not looking at the screen; presuming it went through. 

Also, ticketless machines often ask the user if they want a receipt, so they do have the option to ask for one.

AnotherForumite

Le_Kirk said:

As has been said many times before (and by me) if it was a PROPER car park and the ANPR camera tied up with the PDT, it would be impossible for a motorist to input an incorrect VRM but of course that would remove money-making opportunities.

Easier said than done, only one manufacturer (Metric) offers this functionality for outdoor car parks; and they are notoriously unreliable terminals.

Coupon-mad

Any issues with incorrect VRN are 100% down to user error, as is the case where the transaction is declined. 

Luckily, the Government didn't see it that way.

Probably because that's not true.

Probably because terminals are, as you say, 'notoriously unreliable'.

Jenni_D

AnotherForumite said:

Le_Kirk said:

As has been said many times before (and by me) if it was a PROPER car park and the ANPR camera tied up with the PDT, it would be impossible for a motorist to input an incorrect VRM but of course that would remove money-making opportunities.

Easier said than done, only one manufacturer (Metric) offers this functionality for outdoor car parks; and they are notoriously unreliable terminals.

Unreliable how? Because the ANPR entry cameras misread VRNs?

A shopping centre near me used to use this type of system, and I never had any problem with it. I don't recall anyone else having problems either. (This was a pay on exit system, so you paid for actual time on site [albeit not actual parking time] so you'd only risk a PCN if you didn't pay). Now they use barrier entry with a disc token dispensed on entry. You then pay at a machine when heading back to your car and use the disc to open the exit barrier - it just works.