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Furious drivers are receiving parking fines even though ticket machines in Sheerness aren't working.
Many discovered the yellow stickers on their vehicles because they have been unable to pay cash at the meters.
Several ticket machines in Cross Street, Rose Street and Bridge Street car parks have been out of action since before Christmas. Attendants have told motorists to use other car parks or the RingGo mobile phone payment system. Swale council has refused to accept excuses and says fines will be enforced.
It insists machines are repaired within an hour. But today a machine in Rose Street car park was still broken despite having an out-of-action sticker attached to it at 1.30pm on Saturday.
Businesswoman Anita Daines, who runs Beez Neez hairdressers in Rose Street, said: "Tickets machines in both Rose Street car parks haven’t been working for some weeks and lots of fines have been issued.
"There have been a few upsets between members of the public and traffic attendants. The attendants are telling people to park in other car parks if they do not have a mobile phone to pay for their parking.
"This means in bad weather people, often elderly, have to walk further than necessary - all because the ticket machines haven’t been fixed."
She added: "Sheerness is a struggling town centre and parking is expensive anyway. This isn’t helping. Some irate people have even left town without shopping.
"As a business owner I’m dismayed at the problem people are facing. This isn't acceptable."
Jackie Cripps, who works in Sheerness, said: "I don't have a smart phone which can download apps. I just want to pay cash.
"I was told I would be fined if I didn't pay. Not everyone wants to use RingGo. There must be many people, especially the elderly, in the same situation.
"It's just wrong. It's not our fault the machines aren't working. And not everyone carries a bank card with them."
Lynne LeMasonry, the leader at the Hope Street church centre which uses Rose Street car park, said: "Our centre helps a lot of people in the community but the car park is the bain of our lives.
"The machines are never working and our folk sometimes don’t understand what to do, even if they have a mobile. Often the process doesn’t work.
"People are being given conflicting advice about where to pay. It is an absolute nightmare.
"Even on Sunday mornings the operatives are there as the church opens and again when we finish, hoping to catch those who may not make it out on time."
Swale council's Cllr Cameron Beart said: "If the machines are out of order, you can still pay via RingGo. Or there are four other pay and display car parks with six ticket machines elsewhere around town."
A Swale council spokesman said: "We have checked our live system which shows the pay units in Russell Street, Rose Street and Bridge Street car parks on Sheppey are all working with no disruptions.
“We have also sent an officer along to the car parks to physically check the pay units.
“In the rare cases where pay units are not available for use we are still providing a service for those wishing to park and as more than one payment method is available it is reasonable for all drivers to pay for the use of the parking facilities.
“Our RingGo cashless parking system means that as well as having the choice of paying at the machine, people can pay using their phone, either via the app or by calling the number on the payment machines, or in advance online.
“When units are out of order, they communicate directly with our operations team who attend to repair them within one hour. Last month’s data shows we achieved this 98% of the time.”
