Bridgnorth parking ticket error forces fines payback
More than 150 parking fines had to be reimbursed because of a faulty parking machine in Bridgnorth.
Visitors to Severn Park, in Low Town, have reported difficulties with its ticket machines to the town council since July.
The council has set up a meeting with the controversial enforcement company, Creative Car Parking, to discuss the problems.
The machines, which take pictures of a vehicle's registration plate when they enter to park, issued fines over the summer despite drivers paying the correct money.
In a report to the town council, clerk Anne Wilson said during the weekend of July 7 to 9 a number of fines were issued due to a fault with the system.
She said even if the correct vehicle registration was put in fines had been issued after a 10-minute period, despite drivers being allowed 20 minutes of free parking.
She said: "Since that weekend several people have received fines even though they have put in the correct registration number, all of which have been cancelled."
Ms Wilson said the machines had also been out of order on several occasions during July and August, including the Bank Holiday weekend.
She said a recurring problem saw drivers paying £1, £1.50 or £2 to park but the machines only giving out 20 minute free parking tickets, or having "£0.00" next to the payment, which created fines.
The council agreed to hold a meeting with Creative Car Company to discuss the continuous problems.
David Dank, who visited the town last summer, said had become the latest victim of the machine and had been issued with a court summons.
He said he paid the correct £1 for a two-hour stay but refused to pay the fine after taking advice from information he had found online.
He said: "My girlfriend bought the ticket and we left well within the time but we got a letter for a fine of £35, £80 and then last week it was £270 with a court summons.
"I'd rather give the money to charity than pay the fine. It's been 15 months since the first fine was issues and this is the first time anything like this has happened to me.
"I'll certainly be keeping hold of parking tickets in the future. This has put me off visiting Bridgnorth again."
