Pay and display won’t accept new £1 coins

Ticket machines at council-owned pay and display car parks will not accept the new £1 coin when it is introduced later this month, Powys County Council has said.

Now the council is warning motorists to have either the current quid or the necessary coinage if planning to use its car parks from March 28 when the new 12-sided coin will enter circulation, six months before the current £1 is phased out in October.

The council plans to replace over 60 ticket machines over the coming months with new machines, which will be able accept the new coin. They will be installed before the old coin is phased out.

Cllr John Brunt, Cabinet Member for Highways, said: “We took the decision not to upgrade the current machines so it could accept the new £1 coin because some of the machines are over 20 years old and may have not been able to be upgraded.

“We are now waiting for delivery of the new machines but we will not have them in time or installed before the end of the month.

“We will be phasing the installation of the new ticket machines over the coming month but we want to warn motorists that the current machines will not accept the new £1 coin.  Please ensure you have either the current £1 coin or the right change when you plan to park in one of our pay and display car parks.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”