COUNCILS in the region are making tens of thousands of pounds from parking meters which do not give change, an investigation by The Northern Echo has found.

Local authorities in the North-East and North Yorkshire operate more than 1,600 parking meters and ticket machines which do not pay out change.

The machines collected at least £30m in 2012/13, a freedom of information request discovered.

The majority of councils which replied said it was not possible to say what percentage of that income was due to the machines not giving change.

However, Craven Council, in North Yorkshire, revealed that of the £1.2m its 26 machines took in the last financial year, £23,437 was due to overpaid fees.

Ryedale Council’s 17 parking machines took £560,000 in the 12 months - with £7,010 of that coming because they do not give change.

Using these figures as a guide, it is possible to estimate that councils in the region received between £300,000 and £600,000 in overpayments last year.

The failure to give change was criticised by independent motoring charity the RAC Foundation.

Director Stephen Glaister said: “If giving change for parking can be done at a reasonable cost, then why not? There will obviously be some more administration involved in keeping each machine topped up with coins but is this really so difficult and expensive to do?

“You can easily pay for parking using a debit or credit card, minimising the need for machines to carry actual coinage.”

Middlesbrough Council said it was standard practice across the country for ticket machines not to give change.

The authority said: “The fact that the machines do not give change is clearly labelled on all units. The machines are however programmed to accept overpayment. Some customers prefer to pay extra rather than having to go and obtain change possibly by having to make a purchase they don't need."

Darlington Council added: “We cannot tell what coins are put into the machine for each transaction. The machines are not fitted with statistical software.”

City of York Council said: “In York the machines do not give change but what they do is give extra time. So, for example, if the tariff was £2 for one hour and the customers paid £3 they would get an hour and a half.”