Sand street car park - lack of exit barrier (FOI)

​Request

This request relates to the identified need for an exit barrier on Sand Street car park;

1: Why was an exit barrier not fitted to Sand Street car park
2: Why is it not possible to use an alternative such as a traffic light or other indication

Response

The current payment system has been in operation since November 2012 and as part of this project an investigation was undertaken into fitting an exit barrier/pay on exit system. Due to the single lane exit and high turnover of vehicles this could not be accommodated, as vehicles stopping in the exit lane would cause tailbacks resulting in traffic jams within the car park.

As an alternative, a review was undertaken as to whether an area could be provided where motorists could safely leave their vehicles to make a payment, without causing any danger or obstruction to other users of the car park. This did not prove practical, so payment terminals and signage were prominently fitted in the main pedestrian entrance and signage in secondary locations. Once a payment has been completed, the customer is displayed a clear message "fee is paid" on the screen and provided an option of printing a receipt.