Parking machines for new £1 coin coming over next couple of months

by Lisa Reeves

Monday 27^th March 2017

Mon 27^th Mar 2017

Cheshire East Council is rolling out new ticket machines at its pay-and-display car parks across the borough which will accept the new £1 coin.

The new pay-and-display machines will be introduced over the next couple of months and will provide a variety of quick and simple ways for people to pay for their parking.

The new machines should also be far more robust and reliable and will accept all methods of payment, except banknotes.

The machines will accept the new £1 coin, which is due to come into circulation tomorrow, (Tuesday 28th March), as well as the existing £1 coin and will also be able to take contactless payments. Chip and pin for both debit and credit cards can be used for payment and motorists will still be able to pay for their parking via the RingGo mobile payment app.

Councillor David Brown, Cheshire East cabinet member for infrastructure and highways, said: "Once again, Cheshire East is stealing a march on many other authorities by having a plan in place to instal these new machines as the new coinage comes into circulation.

"We have listened to our residents' concerns about availability of appropriate means of paying and I believe that we now offer a very broad range of options, which will suit all purposes."

During the period between the new £1 coins coming into circulation and the installation of the new machines, when the new coins will not be accepted by the current machines, there will be laminate signs displayed on the machines.

Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Julian Barlow

Wednesday 29^th March 2017 at 3:45 pm

"We have listened to our residents' concerns about availability of appropriate means of paying and I believe that we now offer a very broad range of options"

Indeed, at the top of every residents' list of concerns will be the ease in which they can hand over yet more money to an increasingly ineffectual, self indulgent council.

Conveniently, they're also adept at offering a very broad range of excuses for all the genuine concerns we have that are never addressed.

Dave Cash

Saturday 1^st April 2017 at 4:56 pm

Whilst I welcome addition of Credit/Debit card readers for parking fee payments, they will tend to benefit long-stay parkers/commuters.
Warnings have already been issued about 'contactless payment cards' ie ensure cards in purse/wallet are out of range of detectors.
Less welcome is requirement to input Reg No which will be printed on the permit.
How many PCNs will be issued because the VRN does not correspond to that printed on the permit?
'Ringo' has already led to similar issues, ie no payment recorded so PCN issued.

Pete Taylor

Sunday 2^nd April 2017 at 8:47 am

It's rather a shame that David "pot-hole" Brown has not also listened to residents' concern about the state of the roads.

Lisa Goodall

Monday 3^rd April 2017 at 7:58 pm

I find this hard to believe. Why are the Council investing more money on the machines when their Enforcement Officers don't patrol on a regular basis. I pay a large sum of money for a permit and I am not guaranteed a space yet other vehicles continue to park free of charge. There seems very little point in following the rules and risk the odd fine if the Council aren't prepared to patrol these carparks properly!