MORE issues with the new Smart Parking system which is now in place in The Gateway, Trowbridge have arisen after members of Snap Fitness gym were issued with fines despite having two hours of free parking included in their membership.

Annabelle Sanderson of Wine Street Terrace, Bradford on Avon is entitled to the free parking as a member of the gym beneath the car park. But she received a fine of £170 for parking for 90 minutes.

After pleading with Smart Parking the company agreed to drop the fine, but Ms Sanderson fears other gym users will have the same problem.

She said: “I am now going to have to cancel my membership at a gym because it is a game of Russian roulette with the parking.

“You input your details and have no idea if it has been registered properly and clearly, despite them admitting you should not have been fined but for some administrative problem, you could get landed with a fine for doing nothing wrong and be able to do nothing about it.

“I work in tech so I am well aware of what technology is available for companies who want to properly invest and clearly this company do not.

“I have had a look online at complaints about them and they are universally slammed for their attitude which appears to be a total highwayman’s approach to parking charges with the threat of extra fines and courts for those who do not capitulate to their demands.

“I am deeply concerned about this and having spoken to other people in the gym I am aware that this happened quite frequently at the end of last year in particular, leading me to wonder if there is some problem with the back end of their software.”

Drivers parking in The Gateway, including Snap Fitness members have to enter their name and number plate on a tablet.

Ms Sanderson added: “I have no proof that what I put into the smart parking system was correct or incorrect, but my membership and the fact that something was inputted shows that I was actually going to the gym so why not just put two and two together.

“Stop people being threatened with court and sent demand letters for large amounts of money.”

Smart Parking was approached by the Wiltshire Times but had not responded by the time the paper went to press.