CAR parking in Bolton yields a hidden bonus to the council coffers.
Like many people, I frequently arrive at one of Bolton's pay and display car parks to find that I don't have the exact change for the machine. So instead of 60 pence for 30 minutes I pay £1. The machine doesn't give change because somebody in the council probably decided that the machines were cheaper that way.
My £1 should buy me 50 minutes of parking, but it doesn't, I still only get 30 minutes, despite the £1 payment being printed on the window sticker.
I and many others have lived with this until recently when a relative did exactly what I've described and got booked after 36 minutes!
This is barefaced robbery by the council. They pocket the 40 pence extra payment as well as the £40 penalty.
I suggest that the council modify or replace the the machines so that they either give change, or dispense a window sticker with parking time to the value of the actual payment.
Mr R G Allen
Lingmell Close
Bolton
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