Feel free to park at the no-charge Corran Halls
Drivers who paid for parking that was free at Oban’s Corran Halls are seeking refunds from the Argyll and Bute Council which forgot what day it was.
As from October 1, parking at the 57-space car park should have been free until March but the ticket machine was still accepting payment.
A hood should have been put over the machine letting people know it was not in use.
More than 70 people were at a museums and heritage conference in the hall that day and many of them paid for their spaces, which caused some confusion said Oban councillor Jim Lynch.
One man who did pay for a ticket before discovering it was free, has already contacted the council asking for a refund.
‘There was no mention in the car park of it being free from October to March so I just paid up. It was only when someone in the know mentioned I needn’t have bothered that I was made aware.
‘There should have been a sign up, it’s only fair to let people know it’s free until March,’ he said.
The council’s website does mention the free parking. It is part of a list outlining where all the car parks are in Oban, Lorn and the Isles and how much they cost, as well as how many spaces there are, who owns them and if people can pay by mobile phone.
The Corran Halls car park on Corran Esplanade is the only one in the area that has pay and display from April to September and then no charge from October to March.
Councillor Lynch said: ‘I’m on to it. They should have put a hood over the machine saying it was not in use but that didn’t happen on October 1.
‘It did cause a bit of confusion to people at the conference in the hall that day.
‘Some had paid to park there but the advice given was to send tickets in and ask for a refund.’
Parking at the Lochavullin car park in Lochavullin Road and in Longsdale Road is free for the first two hours all year round.