Car park barriers to be removed to stop tailgating

Payment machines located at barriers at six car parks in Cornwall will be removed, partly due to tailgating drivers, according to the council.

Cornwall Council said it would remove the pay-on-exit barrier system from car parks in Looe, Newquay, Penzance and St Ives and return them to the traditional pay and display system used in most of its other car parks by April.

A Freedom of Information request earlier this month revealed the council spent £18,000 to replace machines at three Truro car parks in 2024 after five years of use.

The council said tailgating, which includes drivers who try to avoid paying, had led to collisions and it had also received feedback from motorists suggesting the barriers were not accessible for all.

It also highlighted reliability issues and said the barriers were "frequently susceptible to technical and hardware failure, as well as vandalism", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Technology had also developed since the pay-on-exit system was first introduced and motorists could extend their parking sessions remotely, it added.

A council spokesperson said: "Once the switchover dates are confirmed, we'll put up signs at the car park entrances and payment terminals to notify you in advance."

Motorists were asked to check signs in the car parks to ensure they pay correctly.

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