Hospital parking fines paused over faulty machines
GoogleA hospital trust has suspended some parking fines while its payment machines are fixed.
A technical issue with payment kiosks at Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle, Cumbria, has prompted North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) to pause parking charge notices (PCNs) except for "cars parked inappropriately".
Operator YourParkingSpace said alternative payment methods were still available including via a QR code, online or through its app which allows payment to be made up to 48 hours after leaving the car park.
Intermittent faults with the machines had been reported since December and no PCNs for non-payment have been issued since then, the trust said.
Cumberland Infirmary has an A&E department and cares for surgery and chemotherapy patients.
An ANPR system is used in the Mitie-managed car park, which uses cameras to track vehicles by their number plates.
A YourParkingSpace spokesperson said: "Appropriate measures have been put in place to ensure that customers are not unfairly penalised as a result of this issue."
A NCIC spokesperson said the supplier was "continuing to investigate what is causing the issues with the current machines" and would install an "interim solution" as soon as possible.
"We are sorry for any distress or inconvenience this has caused, at what can be a very difficult time for people attending the hospital," the trust added.
