A vandalised pay and display machine in Aberdeen has finally been repaired – more than two years after it was damaged.
Parking meters in Cornhill Road, near Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, were targeted by would-be thieves in September 2011.
But despite high demand for parking in the area, with hospital workers and visitors competing for places with residents and commuters, the local authority has just repaired one machine.
Local councillor Bill Cormie said the delay had led to a “free for all” as motorists began parking there all day, and was echoed by residents who complained.
He said: “That pay and display area was created to alleviate the problems that we have in the area, and to help residents parking. When the machines were removed we had a free for all because of it,” he said. “All of a sudden we had people coming from everywhere to park there all day. It was making a mockery of the thing.”
Council staff had removed the top sections from two of the machines, leaving the black base stumps on the pavement.
They have now replaced the first machine, and last night a council spokesman pointed out that while the other machine was being repaired motorists should still be paying for parking – either with the new meter or with the mobile phone parking app.
A spokesman for Aberdeen City Council said: “There are more than 700 parking meters in the city, which are costly to repair and maintenance work is carried out on a priority basis.”