Controversial parking firm Smart Parking has agreed to a meeting with a local politician to try and find a resolution to complaints about their facilities in Perth.
The firm’s managing director Paul Gillespie will discuss matters with Perth and North Perthshire MP Pete Wishart, who has received hundreds of complaints relating to the company.
Smart Parking operates two sites in Perth city centre — Canal Street and the Kinnoull Street multi-storey — and formerly ran one on Mill Street.
High-tech cameras and machines at each site capture cars entering and motorists are required to enter their vehicle registration when paying at machines that do not accept cards or bank notes.
However many have fallen foul of the system, with some penalised for entering letter Os instead of zeros, others for mistakenly underpaying by as little as 10p and even one couple penalised twice after they were locked in by staff.
The meeting between Mr Wishart and Smart Parking was arranged following the intervention of the British Parking Association (BPA).
Mr Wishart said: “I am pleased that Smart Parking have at last agreed to have their managing director come to Perth to discuss the many issues with their facilities in the Fair City.
“I have requested this meeting for a number of months and I want to put to him the hundreds of complaints I have received from constituents and visitors to the city.
“I am disappointed that it has taken so long and required the intervention of the British Parking Association for this meeting to take place, but I am glad that we can finally get together to hammer these issues out.
“Appropriate car parking is an extremely important issue for the well-being of city centres and we know that issues about parking are a disincentive for visitors. I want to work constructively with parking bosses to ensure that visitors and residents in Perth can feel secure in knowing that they can park in Perth without the risk of receiving a contested parking charge.
“I hope that this meeting will lead to a more constructive, relationship between Smart Parking and the city of Perth.”
A spokesman for Smart Parking said they had offered to meet with Mr Wishart “many times”.
He said: “Our managing director is currently touring Smart Parking sites across the country, and will stop in Perth, where he is looking forward to having a one-to-one meeting with Mr Wishart.”
