23 things you say about South Shields' new parking machines

Council chiefs say new machines, which cost £118,000 to install, will improve parking for motorists.

But readers aren't so sure, and say it's all a ploy to make even more money from parking.

Here's 23 of the things you had to say, via Facebook and comments left on our website:

Alison Wainman: "All they do is prevent ticket sharing so revenue goes up."

Lee Appleby: "They won't improve parking. It will only make more money by stopping people ticket sharing by putting the reg of the car on the ticket. It's just another money-making scheme."

Samantha Hodson: "Yep, money-making scheme. I wouldn't mind so much if there was something to park for. There's nothing in Shields!"

Andy Wright: "£118,000 of OUR money, to stiff US, and line THEIR pockets. Brilliant! It might pay for the 365 fiasco."

Ray Abdulla: "Why not make parking free to get more people using the town centre, in turn this will bring more shops to the town and more revenue to the council along with more jobs! The council are very short sighted!"

Nicola Sutton: "Nothing about this is for the customer/shopper. If the machine's broke we don't get a ticket, which means the council lose money. By installing these machines they close the loophole of "the machine wasn't working" as you can call up and pay for parking over the phone, no doubt a premium number too. Oh and I liked the "this will stop people passing their tickets on to others" #ItsAllAboutTheMoney."

Susan Atkinson: "The queues are really long for to use them. Imagine what it's going to be like in the summer holidays or when there's events on at the Bents Park/Amphitheatre."

Simon Mills: "Can you get fined if you have the wrong reg number? A valid ticket is a valid ticket."

Susan Sinclair: "Waste of money. Maybe if they made free parking on market days we might not have so many empty shops."

Natalie Lindsay: "It's shocking, all a money-making con to stop people passing on their tickets to other people. Why shouldn't that be allowed?"

Linda Wood: "Only changed them so you have to put in your registration to stop you giving your ticket to another driver if you have time left on your tickets. Think we are stupid?"

Max Fulton: "Muppets."

Neil James Joseph Todd: "Absolute con to stop people handing over all day parking tickets. Shameful."

Gloria Ghent: " Improve revenue only as no sharing of tickets. Doesn't improve parking at all."

Carly Pritchard: "They've just found another way to rob people! No longer can I do a good deed and leave my all day parking ticket! Anything to get more money from people!"

Trisha Rundle: "I felt sorry for a pensioner as he really struggled to use this machine and a lot of the elderly will."

Laura Dawson: "This is shocking, you can't give your ticket to anyone in the car park and pot holes should be the first on their list to fix!"

Sharon Tighe: "I've got an even better idea. Get rid of all the old parking meters and don't bother replacing them. Free parking for all and people might risk visiting the area, but to be fair, the clip of the place, they'd wished they'd stayed at home

Shirelle Nesbitt: "I don't know how they can dare charge at all, the state that the town centre is currently in. There's nothing worth paying to park for!"

Paul Howliston: "Waste of money.... used them at the weekend and got a parking ticket even tho i paid by phone. Just shows how useless the council are."

James Dunkley: "A waste of money? Let's be honest the old machines were not fit for purpose, gave no change, nor could you use your card for payment or an app. Before the new parking meters came into force there was so many hurdles. Now the hurdles are gone it's now easier to park in town. This, alongside with improvements to the Metro, and bus services (free travel for the pensioners) are all part of larger plan to make it more accessible for people to shop in the town."

monkeys2hhots: "It is pure and simple a money-making scheme by the council! No longer can we do a good deed of passing on our day tickets! South Shields town centre is dying, and the council are helping it nail the coffin slowly but surely! There is nothing to go to Shields for, and anything you do need can be found in Jarrow, where parking is free!"

phillo: "LOL. It's not the problem with machines or having change, the problem is having to pay. They just don't get it."