Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council installed modified pay-and-display equipment in two of its largest public car parks, in the town of Leigh, in an attempt to prevent a suspected loss of revenue through the practice of unexpired ticket transfer. The Metric Accent machines required motorists to enter three digits of their vehicle registration number when buying their ticket. At the same time, the Council introduced this type of pay-and-display equipment into previously unregulated streets in Wigan. The system was subsequently studied in operation to assess its efficiency and to determine how it might affect the public interest. The investigation included a questionnaire survey to determine motorists' reactions to the system and an examination of tickets in parked cars to search for evidence of deliberate non-compliance. The Council's parking equipment service records and car park income data were also analysed as part of an economic evaluation of the system. The results of this study show that the introduction of this type of parking control equipment did not achieve either better compliance or protection of income. (A)
Abstract