ROCK HILL, S.C. — Some visitors at a major venue in Rock Hill are frustrated about the new parking system, saying the process is confusing and leading to big fines.
Channel 9 Reporter Tina Terry took a closer look at the system -- drivers who enter the parking garage at the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center can pay for parking on their cell phones by scanning a QR code or calling a phone number.
“It’s much more smooth; definitely don’t have traffic backing up,” said Derrick King.
King said the new parking system at the venue is keeping traffic moving smoothly because it no longer has an old-school garage arm and pay station.
“You park, scan your QR code coming out, pay, and you don’t have to worry about keeping up with a ticket,” King said.
But some drivers have complained, saying that signage isn’t clear. Some have faced fines for not following the new rules.
Rusty Yaple, the facility manager for the City of Rock Hill, has heard the complaints. He says drivers sometimes don’t see or read the new instructions. Most often, they don’t enter their license plate information properly.
“If you enter the wrong number, when the camera takes a picture of your car, it’s not going to recognize it, and it’s going to view you as an unpaid parker,” Yaple told Terry.
He said that will trigger a $30 fine.
“The idea between the violations is really to encourage compliance. The city’s not looking to make a bunch of revenue off of violations,” Yaple said.
While King prefers the new system, he says more signs detailing how to pay would help.
“I feel like if more of those were just posted around on different floors, I feel like that would take care of that,” King said.
City leaders said they’ve added more signs in response to those complaints. They said about 7,000 people park at the sports and events center every week, and only about one percent of them have complained about the new system.
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