Small businesses in the Devonport CBD say they are haemorrhaging customers after the council’s rollout of new digital parking meters left shoppers confused and frustrated.
Three locals fronted Monday night’s Devonport City Council meeting, reporting significant drops in trade since the meters were installed several weeks ago.
The council promoted the new system as offering faster payments through coins, credit cards, tap-and-go technology and two parking apps.
One business owner, who runs an organic bulk-foods store on Oldaker Street, said she had watched six vehicles pull up, struggle with the meters and then drive away without shopping – all within a single hour.
“Some of these people are my customers … I recognise and remember people really well,” she said.
“… I’ve witnessed [people] pull up, walk between the new touch interface [meter] and back to the now defunct coin operated meter and then get back in their car and drive off without even looking at the small businesses.”
She said customers who did stay were rushing their purchases – grabbing one item instead of completing their full shopping list – because they were worried about getting a parking ticket.
“There’s no interaction, there’s no conversation because they’re just looking out the window making sure they don’t get a parking ticket,” she said.
She added that parking bays on her street were now sitting empty at times that would previously have been busy.
The manager of Kathmandu on Rooke Street said three to four people a day were giving up and leaving rather than trying to use the system.
“We have a lot of people coming into us not knowing how to use the parking and we go out and we help them,” she said.
“But a lot of these people are elderly who have coins who either have to cross the road or go down to the end of Rooke Street, remember their registration number and remember the number on the sidewalk to be able to pay for their parking.”
Another business owner, who runs a boutique on Rooke Street, said even tech-savvy visitors were struggling.
She described one Queensland tourist who couldn’t get the new app to work after four attempts and walked away in frustration, saying he had been ticketed on his last visit and wouldn’t return.
“We’ve lost probably over 50% of our trade,” she said.
All three raised concerns about inadequate signage pointing people to coin-operated alternatives and the long distances elderly customers were being forced to walk between meters.
Workers are also feeling the effects, with the Payne Avenue car park reportedly full of city staff who have been pushed out of other car parks.
Mayor Alison Jarman acknowledged the concerns and said the parking coordinator would meet individually with affected businesses.
