Yet another story about the "So Easy To Use" Parking meters.

Another story about the new “so easy to use” Parking Meters the NPDC have replaced in town.

We had a Roving Reporter cover this a few weeks ago and it is plainly obvious from comments we are receiving, and comments in this Daily News story, these new parking meters are not easy to use.

Last Friday one of our team ventured in to have lunch on the main street – to actively support the retail and hospitality sectors. They did notice how it was so easy to park as there were dozens of free carparks. That used to be very unusual on a Friday afternoon.

These so easy to use machines look totally different. There is nothing on them to tell you they work differently. The first thing you notice is you can’t find a number on the footpath for where your car is parked. The numbers have been removed.

Looking at the machine – there is nothing on the machine to say the NPDC now use your number plate – we’re just meant to work that change out for ourselves. May be a sticker could have been placed on the machine to tell us that ?

And to start using the machine at all – there is a very thin line with small wording towards the bottom of the screen with something like “touch here to start” – but you can’t see that at all clearly – so you are staring at a machine thinking what am I meant to do.

Our team member had to pop in to a shop to find out what to do. The girl there hadn’t used them, but answered multiple questions a day from other people who can’t use them either. She was very helpful and patient and knew enough from shoppers about how to get started with the machine.

These new parking meters are not easy to use the first time and they are driving people away from town.

Is the NPDC actively trying to drive people away from businesses in the city ? Or are they so out of touch with what happens when they make a decision they are just slowly removing the heart of our people and our city ?