Faulty machines cause parking ticket queues
FURTHER criticism has been made of council parking charges with reports that faulty machines are causing ticket queues of up to 30 minutes.
Shoppers in Macclesfield and all Cheshire East had to pay for parking again from June 15 and cash could not be used - only contactless to halt the spread of Covid.
But at Churchill Way, in Macclesfield town centre, a power supply issue meant machines took a long time to read card details and sometimes did not work at all.
Cheshire East Council says the problem is now largely resolved but it is claimed this latest development was the last thing traders needed as they attempt to get back on their feet.
Former councillor Hilda Gaddum was among those to experience difficulties and said: “The machines have not been up to it.
”They take forever to get a signal and we have had people waiting half an hour. The worry is that shops are just trying to get going again and people will drive away if the queue is too big.
”It has been badly thought out, there is a big elderly population in Macclesfield who don’t have a smart phone or like using card payments for small amounts.
”The council says contactless makes it safer but you still have to touch buttons, which are difficult to work with gloves on.”
As well as card payment, parking app RingGo can also be used - both of which the council says reduces the health risk compared to the ‘multiple touchpoints’ of coins.
It also says that charging ensures a faster turnaround of car park spaces and is an income stream at a time of unprecedented financial pressure for local authorities.
Although Mrs Gaddum counters this by saying that money made on parking is ring fenced so can only be spent on parking.
A council spokesman said: “We have experienced a power supply issue with two parking meters on the Churchill Way car park and supplier engineers and electricians have carried out repairs.
“Three machines are now working normally while a fourth remains unavailable to help users maintain social distancing.
“Some of the machines may seem slower than others as they rely on a satellite signal to process the payment. We would ask customers to be patient while the payment is being dealt with.
“The machines accept debit cards, credit cards, contactless and chip and pin but we have staff in attendance to assist any car park users who experience difficulty.”
Car parks at Jordangate and the Grosvenor Centre will remain closed until a further Covid-19 risk assessment is carried out later this month.