Car park ticket machines to cost council £12,000

Parking ticket machines in Perth and Kinross are unable to accept new 10p coins, pictured right. Picture: PA/Comp

Perth and Kinross Council will have to change machines in the area as they don’t accept the new 10p coins introduced by the Royal Mint in January.

The new coins are nickel-plated steel and replaced the older cupro-nickel coins which were scrapped to recover the alloy.

A spokeswoman for Perth and Kinross Council confirmed that it will cost £12,000 for the “upgrading” required to some ticket machines in council car parks.

She said: “The costs are being met from within existing budgets to ensure that there is no impact on parking charges for motorists.

“A change in the materials used to make 10p coins means that older ticket-issuing machines will reject the new 10p coins. This situation is affecting parking providers around the UK, including local authorities.

“Perth and Kinross Council is taking steps to have affected ticket machines upgraded and the programme of upgrades is expected to be completed within the next six weeks, with changes to be made first to the most heavily used on and off-street parking facilities.

“The council has, in the meantime, placed notices on the affected equipment advising motorists of the issue.”

One driver, Tricia Fox, from Perth, criticised the council for making motorists pay extra at some car parks.

She said: “Apparently council parking machines don’t accept the new 10p pieces, they all have lovely yellow stickers telling us so.

“This is not so good for the consumer who then has to pay £1 for 90p worth of parking, an 11 per cent increase. It’s not much but it adds up over the year.

“If we all had to inadvertently pay 11 per cent council tax there would be an outcry.

“Apparently legal tender is not good enough.”