Parking Charges (part 2)

The newly installed parking meters in Torbay are biased in favour of the Council in three ways.

1. One has to decide when parking if the shop will be able to serve you within 10 minutes or whether you have to buy 30 minutes, or even more, and have to err on the side of safety to avoid the danger of getting a fine.

2. If you vacate your space before the time paid for has run out, anyone taking over the space has to pay again for time you have already paid for. (This does not happen in towns where conventional parking meters are used, the space is paid for a set time, and if you leave early the next person may use the unused time) These are not really parking meters at all, they are parking ticket dispensing machines.

3. The machines do not give change, so if you don't have correct money you have to overpay.


The existing car parks in Torbay are all similarly biased; does the council think this is a fair system? Why can't we have some pay on exit car parks in the town centres, such as those used at Exeter airport, so we can shop without worrying about how long we have left on our ticket? It would make for a more relaxing shop.

And why is Torbay more expensive than South Hams or Teignbridge, it has no more to offer its visitors that those places?