Upgrades coming to car park ticket machines

ANYONE heading to Tameside’s town centres will soon find it easier to use local parking facilities, with ticket machine upgrades planned.

In a move that will support local businesses by improving access to Tameside’s shopping centres, there are plans to replace or upgrade 27 ticket machines so they can accept contactless card payments as well as cash.

Selected machines are at car parks in the borough’s town centres and the work approved by Tameside Council, costing more than £75,000, will be completed this summer. This work involves 27 ticket machines: 17 to be upgraded and 10 to be replaced with a newer model.

The borough’s car parks are critical for both residents and businesses. By modernising the car parks, they can continue to play an important role in the local economy and the vitality of town centres by providing easy access to shops and hospitality venues, like cafes and restaurants.

There are 44 car parks in Tameside and 53 pay and display machines in total. The remaining 26 machines are scheduled for a future review.

Cllr Jan Jackson, Tameside Council Executive Member for Planning, Transport and Connectivity, said: “Upgrading our town centre parking machines will play a vital role in improving access to the borough and bringing more people to our town centres. Tameside Council is committed to providing modern, sustainable infrastructure that adds value to our borough.

“By adding contactless charging to existing cash payments we can make it easier for customers to reach our fantastic local businesses.”