Metric to the aid of hospital

The UKs only manufacturer of parking machines supplied the busy hospital with 11 Aura pay and display units with numeric keypads and note readers as specified by the Trust.

The process for customers would be to enter the numbers from their vehicle registration prior to purchasing a ticket.  This method is used to prevent drivers from passing on tickets with residual time to other users of the car park.

However, the hospital has found that since the installation last July visitors have not accepted the use of the keypads and as a result Metric has removed them from the machines.

Said Richard Staveley, Metric sales executive:  The use of numeric keypads and alpha numeric keypads works extremely well when drivers become familiar with this process of buying a ticket.  However, this can take time when the routine for years has been to only press the green button to complete the transaction.

It is the operators choice on how the machine should process a transaction and in this instance we are more than happy to oblige with the request to revert back to the most simplified process

At the Trusts request we have also disabled and taken out the note reader, he added.

Northampton General Hospital charges 2.20 for a three hour visit.