Ticket machine queues put driver over time limit at Broadmarsh centre
MORE signs will be put up at city council car parks to let people know where ticket machines are.
The news comes after the council apologised and refunded a man who said he was forced to pay more because the queue for the machines was so long.
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Frank Hughes parked in the Broadmarsh car park on Tuesday and returned within the four-hour limit.
He said, however, that he was stung for an extra £3 because of long queues.
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"Due to the size of the queue at the ticket machines, I was penalised with a further three-hour charge," he said.
"I realise that this is a busy time of year but I really do not understand why there are not more than two machines at the bridge from the shopping centre."
The car park has five ticket machines but the council has admitted signs need to be improved to explain this.
When Mr Hughes wrote to the council to complain, he was told a refund was not possible.
A council officer said: "We do have a total of five pay machines in the car park, as well as an attendant who is there 24/7 and has the discretion to charge the lower amount if they believe you have been waiting to pay since under the four-hour limit.
"It would not be viable for us to put in additional machines for the few weeks of the year that we have a large number of Christmas shoppers in the car park.
"As we have a number of alternative ways of paying for parking in addition to the two machines you queued for, we will not be refunding the difference between the £6.20 for up to four hours parking and £9.00 for up to six hours."
But after the council was contacted by the Post, Mr Hughes, of Melbourne, Derbyshire, was promised a refund.
A spokesman said: "We will refund Mr Hughes. Clearly, customers do need to take into account that it is a busy time of year and it's likely that queues will form at ticket machines.
"However, we acknowledge that signage at Broadmarsh could be improved and we have a review planned for the New Year to do just that. In the meantime, we will install temporary signs alerting customers to other machines."
The Broadmarsh has two ticket machines near the bridge into the shopping centre, one in the bus station, one outside the customer services office near the entrance and another near the exit.
Driver Sophie Noon, 24, of the Arboretum, said: "I have driven into town a bunch of times this month to get all my Christmas shopping done and I think the signs are a great idea.
"I had to wait for 15 minutes due to the long queue to get my ticket at Broadmarsh car park last week and also ended up having to pay more. "
Have you experienced long queues at city car parks this Christmas? E-mail newsdesk@nottinghampostgroup.co.uk
Comments
by DunkirkPie
Thursday, December 27 2012, 2:45PM
“There used to be a ticket machine by the exit from the shopping centre to the bus station but when I looked for it yesterday it wasn't there - where has it gone? Agree that the machines seem to be hidden away. Not everyone uses that horrible footbridge.”
by omega03
Tuesday, December 25 2012, 4:59PM
“...went down to Poole to see friends 2 weeks ago... Dolphin Centre 100 times better than the Broadmarsh.. no chav shops.. no boarded up shops, decent comfortable eating places clean tidy and a dozen or more pay machines.. but here is the best of it ...£3 for up to 4 hours....£5.50 for up to 6.. not a **** tram in sight but a bus system to die for.... every 5 mins to surrounding towns... Poole to Bournemouth...12 mile round trip ...£3.40 return.... also been to Birmingham for a "proper" Christmas market... multistorey parking... £6 all day and the Bullring shopping centre is what a centre should be... Nottm City Centre ??? A TIP !!!!!”
by snowcadet
Thursday, December 20 2012, 5:09PM
“If you stay bumper to bumper with the car in front and follow it out, the barriers stay up! I lost my ticket once and they wanted to charge me for a full 24 hours even though I had only been in town about an hour... ended up parking there for free!”
by wortho48
Thursday, December 20 2012, 4:14PM
“I never park in the Broad Marsh it is dirty smelly and dreadful to get out of .”
by Tessy
Thursday, December 20 2012, 1:16PM
“This isn't the only problem, i've got stuck in traffic trying exit carparks before now and then been told at the barrier that my ticket had gone over it's 15min limit...used my womanly wiles and cried at the car park attendant until he lifted the barrier...parking can be a pain in the backside though!”
by mattgaltress
Thursday, December 20 2012, 1:13PM
“Par for the course on this thread...”
by Dave_Nottm
Thursday, December 20 2012, 12:19PM
“No charges at all at Macartrhur Glen or Meadowhall!”
by FormerlyW
Thursday, December 20 2012, 12:14PM
“You have not set foot in Nottingham because they charge more for 6 hours parking than for 4?
There you have the reason why there is very little chance of rational debate on any matter relating to the City: because perfectly sensible suggestions like scheinwerfer's get drowned out in the torrent of irrational hatred and conspiracy theories.”
by harrystotle1
Thursday, December 20 2012, 12:08PM
“"When Mr Hughes wrote to the council to complain, he was told a refund was not possible."
"But after the council was contacted by the Post, Mr Hughes, of Melbourne, Derbyshire, was promised a refund."
Nottingham City Council Chief Exec' Ian Curryer has a massive, massive job on his hands trying to instill in his staff what good customer service looks like.”
by Wargirl
Thursday, December 20 2012, 11:58AM
“"difference between the £6.20 for up to four hours parking and £9.00 for up to six hours."
... And there you have it, The very reason I have not set foot in Nottingham City Centre for at least 5 years!.”