130 new higher tech parking machines to be installed at Central Milton Keynes

They won't make parking any cheaper, but they will allow cashless payments through debit and credit cards.

Shoppers are given a receipt instead of a ticket, and will not have to worry about walking back to their car to display anything, says the council.

"All you need to do is enter your vehicle registration plate details," a spokesman said.

The high tech machines will cost a total of more than a £1m. They will replace the current 250 old ones that are costing Milton Keynes Council a whopping £10,000 each month to maintain.

A council report last year revealed these machines have an average lifespan of between eight and 12 years, but those at CMK have lasted more than 20 years.

They are often breaking down, and the parts are becoming obsolete, leading to driver frustration when machines don’t work, councillors were told.

"The machines are also clearly antiquated and many are very tatty,” said the report.

“This does not give a good impression to those visiting Milton Keynes.”

MK Council makes in excess of £14 million each year from parking fees.

The announcement about the new machines has received a mixed reaction on social media - and prompted many moans about the cost of parking at CMK.

One user wrote: "Great for convenience. The issue I have though is the extortionate parking fees. People are driven to shop more and more online and it is killing our high streets."

Another said: "They (MK Council) position this as being entirely for public benefit, making it easier etc (which it partly is) but it also allows them to stop people passing tickets amongst each other when they have time left. Makes them more money this way."