Controversial new parking meters at Pitlochry’s Faskally Woods have been branded a “farce” as they require an app in an area with weak to no phone signal.
The Courier has previously reported on a campaign to stop land manager Forestry and Land Scotland [FLS] from imposing parking charges at the woods that host the Enchanted Forest event every autumn.
After delays in the winter, charges were finally introduced this week but the meters are out of order so visitors are instructed to pay by the RingGo app.
Yet the area has little to no mobile phone coverage with Vodafone users, for example, unable to get any signal at all.
And to make matters worse, when one visitor managed to pay via RingGo they were given a 40p surcharge which appears to be for each transaction.
“It’s a farce,” said Susan Boyd, who is a member of the Friends of Faskally forest parking charge protest Facebook group.
“The joke is that if you are with some mobile phone providers, in my case Vodafone, there is no signal to pay for parking.”
‘They don’t have smartphones’
In December 2022 we reported on a 700-name petition calling for the suspension of FLS’s proposed charges.
The government agency installed payment machines in the woods and earmarked January 4 as the day they would be switched on.
But this was delayed and the two machines were only uncovered earlier this week, only for them to contain an electronic message saying they were out of order.
It instructed visitors to pay via the RingGo app or call 0131 239 0000.
“One-third of our population are over 60,” Susan said.
“They don’t have smartphones.
“And making a call on their mobile phone would be difficult, especially as many of the operators don’t have signal at Faskally Woods.”
Sat under blanket due to £300 fuel bill
Car users are now charged £1 an hour or £3 for the day, while minibus drivers have to pay £10 to park at Faskally Woods.
An annual pass, bought in advance, costs £50.
The visitor who was charged 40p by RingGo used the app for just a one-hour parking session.
Yet FLS holds cash reserves of £84.8m, according to Audit Scotland’s annual audit report.
The Courier also reported that the government agency had a £20.9m underspend in 2020/21.
Susan, 62, is a former teacher who had to take early retirement from her job at Pitlochry High School due to ill-health.
“I am sitting under a blanket in my house due to a £300 fuel bill,” she said.
“I only have a tiny teacher’s pensions because I was unfortunately one of the women affected by the state pension age moving to 67.
“So £50 for an annual pass is a lot for me and it is a lot for a lot of people right now.”
‘That wood has saved my life’
Susan took early retirement at Easter after a heart attack in December 2021.
She says being able to drive two miles from her Pitlochry home to Faskally Woods – and park for a free – has been a life-saver.
“The stress, anxiety and physical health problems brought on by Covid meant I was advised to take early retirement,” Susan said.
“Every day I go to Faskally Woods to de-stress and walk.
“I meet so many people who are dealing with physical and mental health issues and I relate to all of that.”
Her female black Labrador dog Breagha, 6, also enjoys walks in the woods.
“It is personal for me because that wood has saved my life,” Susan added.
“There’s no question that without that wood, my family and the very supportive head teacher at Pitlochry High School, I wouldn’t have been able to get back to work after the hart attack.”
‘Locals should have free permit’
Local politicians continue to support Susan and the protest group.
Independent councillor and Provost Xander McDade previously wrote to Simon Hodgson, the FLS chief executive.
He called for locals to have a free permit and for charges to only apply between April and October.
“The fact FLS are not accepting cash payments further marginalises many in our community who do not own a mobile phone or may not feel comfortable about using their bank card over the phone,” he said.
“FLS continue to fail to listen to the local community and insist on taking a one size fits all approach to their operations.
“I do not believe this serves the community of Pitlochry or those in communities across Scotland who should be able to access their local greenspaces for free regardless of their financial status or ability.
“I hope the Scottish Government and use their powers to direct their own agency to take a more community first approach.”
FLS meeting planned
Local Conservative Councillor John Duff called for FLS to suspend its £50 penalty charge notices until the machines are fully operational.
“The move to charge visitors for parking at Faskally Woods has been fraught with problems since it was announced and this latest episode will have done nothing to ease the concerns of locals,” he said.
“I will be attending a meeting with Forestry and Land Scotland very soon to discuss the whole situation, but it certainly appears that they can’t rely on mobile phone payments in the area.
His Conservative colleague, MSP Murdo Fraser, added: “Forestry and Land Scotland really should have looked at this issue properly before the parking meters were installed.
“It is no good having the meters but then finding out that they aren’t working.
“Asking people who visit Faskally Woods to use the RingGo app is not the answer as the mobile phone signal there is weak and some people get no signal at all.
“This problem must be addressed immediately by FLS.”
72 hours to pay
A spokesperson for Forestry and Land Scotland insisted both meters were working on Monday “but we have sent someone out to check on their status.”
They added that anyone having difficulty finding a signal can pay up to 72 hours after their visit, either via their home computer or a dedicated phone line.
The spokesperson continued: “The car parking charge is as advertised regardless of the method of payment.
“However, the Ringo app includes an SMS alert option (20p per message) that is used to confirm that a parking charge has been paid.
“It also alerts visitors – 10 minutes ahead of time – that the period that they have paid for is coming to an end.
“The SMS alert is an ‘opt out’ and not an ‘opt in’ system and visitors should switch off the option in the App if they do not want the alerts.”
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