Drivers entitled to refunds after parking meter errors

Car owners who paid parking fees by using an Easy Card on certain days last year may be eligible for refunds, the Taipei Parking Management Office said yesterday.

Some Easy Card street-parking meters are not supposed to charge for parking at weekends and on holidays but many drivers were charged by mistake.

Chang Chun-ming (張俊明) of the Taipei Parking Management Office said that a thorough examination of the office's Easy Card street-parking meters installed last February found that 5,379 transactions totaling NT$126,890 (US$3,828) were paid to the office during weekends or on holidays on Feb. 28, April 5, May 31, Oct. 6 and Oct. 10 last year.

Chang said that some Easy Card street-parking meters were not supposed to charge at weekends or on holidays but systematic errors in some meters led to mistaken charges.

As the office did not have information on the car owners concerned, Chang urged drivers to check with the office or the Taipei Smart Card Company to check whether or not they had been erroneously charged and, where applicable, to get a full refund.

To check whether they are entitled to a refund, drivers can visit www.pma.taipei.gov.tw or www.tscc.com.tw and enter the card number found on the back of their Easy Card.

Alternatively, car owners can call 0800-028880 or 27590666-6302, 6338.