Cloudy Weather Has Silver Lining for Motorists
Updated: Thu, Sep 06 8:53 AM EDT
LONDON (Reuters) - Newly installed solar-powered parking meters have fallen
victim to Britain's notoriously gloomy weather, allowing hundreds of motorists
to escape paying for tickets, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on
Thursday.
City officials in Nottingham spent 1 million pounds on 215 high-tech meters
earlier this year after studies showed local authorities in sun-drenched
Mediterranean countries had saved a fortune in maintenance costs.
But the council reckoned without the relentless lack of sun in the average
British summer, let alone the monotonous gray of the British winter.
Despite better than average sunshine last month, more than a quarter of the
machines have stopped working, to the delight of local motorists who have
benefited from free parking periods.
"This is an ill-thought scheme," Nottingham city councilor Sally McNamara told
the paper.
The council has called in the meters' suppliers to adjust the machines ahead
of winter.
Patricia
'59 Bugeye
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