The Isle of Wight Council have this week admitted that some motorists using the PaybyPhone app have been charged for overnight parking, despite the new £1 fee having not yet come into force.
It was announced earlier this year that a £1 flat fee would be introduced for anyone wanting to park in Council car parks and on Esplanades after 18:00 at night. Due to issues with parking meter software and the task of changing all related signage, the roll out of the overnight charge was pushed back from April until June.
However, it has been revealed by Island Echo tonight that a number of motorists using the PaybyPhone app to pay for their parking have been charged the nominal amount before the charges have come into force.
It is currently unknown how many motorists have been hit by this blunder and how much money has been collected incorrectly, although the Isle of Wight Council have been asked to supply this information.
Now that the error has come to light those charged for parking when it should have been free are set to be refunded in full.
A spokesperson for the Isle of Wight Council has told Island Echo:
“PayByPhone was instructed by the council to prepare its software for the roll-out of the £1 overnight pay and display parking charge.
“The council has since been made aware that some motorists using the PayByPhone app have been inadvertently charged for overnight parking before the official introduction of the scheme.
Article continues below this advertisement “PayByPhone was not instructed by the council to levy the fee and we can confirm refunds will be offered by the company to all customers who were incorrectly charged.
The spokesperson continued:
“The new overnight charge is currently being rolled out across the Island and we would advise motorists to check the tariff board or ticket machine signage as these will be changed to indicate that night-time charging has started.”
It is estimated the new on and off-street overnight parking charge will generate around £147,500 to help fund services across the Island.
Where will the new £1 overnight charge be introduced?
Between 18:00 and 08:00:
Bembridge, St Helens and Seaview
Lane End
The Duver (Seaview)
Pier Road (Seaview)
The Duver (St Helens)
Cowes
Brunswick Road
Mornington Road
St Marys Road
Cross Street
Freshwater and Totland
Avenue Road
Colwell Bay
Freshwater Bay
Moa Place
Esplanade Car Park (Totland)
Broadway Car Park (Totland)
Newport
Coppins Bridge
County Hall Complex
Medina Avenue
Medina Campus
Newport Harbour North and South
Riverway
Seaclose Recreation Ground
Chapel Street
Church Litten
Lugley Car Park
New Street Car Park
Sea Street
High Street
Holyrood Street
Lugley Street
New Street
Orchard Street
Pyle Street
Quay Street
High Street Car Park, Carisbrooke
Ryde
Appley Park
Garfield Road
Green Street
Lind Place
Quay Road
St Thomas Street Upper and Lower
Puckpool Park
Victoria Street
Sandown
Fort Street
Station Avenue
The Heights
Yaverland
St Johns Road
New Road (Lake)
Shanklin
Atherley Road, Shanklin
Esplanade Gardens
Hope Road
Orchardleigh Road
Spa Site
Winchester House
Landguard Road
Vernon Meadow
Ventnor
Eastern Esplanade
Central Car Park
La Falaise
Smugglers Haven,
The Grove
Wootton
Brannon Way Car Park
River Road
Between 18:00 and 10:00:
Cowes
Esplanade
The Parade,
Ryde
Canoe Lake Road
Esplanade
North Walk
Sandown
Culver Parade
Esplanade
Dinosaur Island
Shanklin
Esplanade
Ventnor
Esplanade
Yarmouth
High Street
And what about all the Blue Badge holders that inadvertently pay on Shanklin seafront as the signage hasn’t been put back following the tariff changes last year? The council took the old signs down but never replaced the ones that had reference to Blue Badge holders so the disabled pay when they don’t have to.
Is the Council really going to send out Traffic Wardens in the early hours of the morning to check on overnight parking
They will need quite a few to check all those car parks. Once salaries and staff costs are met there won’t be much change from that £147,500
Probably not but they will catch them early the next morning !!
The meter warriors drive around in their private cars checking on parking. I have seen it many times. I want to know if they are using their private vehicles to carry out Council work are they covered by their insurance? As this would be classified as business use.
The introduction of these charges fails on many counts
1. It puts off people coming into the towns to socialize in the evening.
2. It penalizes people visiting/checking on elderly relatives – after being at work all day.
3. It is a barrier to arranging meetings of clubs and committees – do the councilors need to pay when they go to evening meetings ?
4.It is a penalty on anyone involved in a sporting capacity – when people are encouraged to take exercise
5. Will the council publish the real net gain in finances from this exercise.- after FULL staff costs,new signs,software changes
.
I don’t live in one of the towns, but if I did I would want a explanation from my councilor as to his/her vote on this, and if I was a business I would want a reduction in my business rates. Its a very disappointing policy decision I wonder what the result of a peoples vote would have been !!
they won’t be checking and will rely on motorists fear of getting a fine, so will pay the £1 charge. There is the initial up front cost, which over time will be recouped, then it is simply another revenue stream for the council. They can simply adjust the finishing times of parking wardens to be around 2000 instead of 1800. This will catch plenty of motorists. They are getting as bad as Portsmouth who are ruthless with parking fines.
They will have had someone wander around these car parks late in the evening and count the number of cars parked on a typical night -probably a sunday and mid week, during the low winter season, to get an idea of what the minimum take is likely to be.
They are anticipating £5 per night, per location, which gives you the £147,500. It is likely to be much more than this, as car parks such as St Thomas street routinely has about 10 to 15 cars a night in it and many more on the weekends. The peak summer sees cars parked in all locations and everyone will be paying £1 to park for the duration of their evening out, until about 2200/0000 at the latest.
The council are likely to be profiting out of this, despite the initial outlay and will happily rinse the electorate for larger government at every opportunity.
More incompetence in the dysfunctional IoW County Hall. Apparently LGO’s from the mainland are being brought in to ‘assist’ with new traffic orders in the northern towns on the island.