CASH-STRAPPED Ceredigion Council has missed out on tens of thousands of pounds of car parking income because its ticket machines were out of order, a task and finish group has found.

Ticket machines at six of the county’s car parks were not working when councillors on the task and finish group visited the car parks on 2 and 3 August this year.

Cllr Ifan Davies (right), chair of the thriving communities scrutiny committee, blamed a “culture of apathy” in the council for machines being left out of order for long periods of time.

The task and finish group, established to consider the charging policy as a way of avoiding increases, has put forward a raft of recommendations that will be put before the council’s Cabinet on 12 January, including a period of free parking in the morning to encourage people to visit towns and ensuring ticket machines are more reliable and simpler to use.

The biggest concern was the length of time some ticket machines had been out of order and problems with machines issuing incorrect tickets with the committee saying that had led to a significant loss of income to the council.

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