Parking meters are about to descend on Dartmoor to swallow the cash of visiting motorists.

­Honesty boxes have proved a useless source of income with visitors failing to feed the features with the requisite sums.

Other popular locations in line for the automated cash collectors are Newbridge, Postbridge and Meldon.

It’s anticipated the scheme will boost moorland coffers to the tune of nearly £55,000 a year.

The authority estimates that the alternative system will bring in up to five-and-a-half times the amount that visitors leave in donations.

Extra funds are needed across Dartmoor after a 40 per cent reduction in the grant received from the Government compared with seven years ago.

The new regime will go out to consultation before the scheme is up and running.

Charging was introduced in Princetown four years ago through an agreement with the local district council.

Since then the facility’s annual income has shot up from £5,000 in donations to close on £23,000.

A report accepted by the authority said: ‘The experience at Princetown has shown that visitors expect to pay and are willing to pay for car parking and that modest charges used to improve local facilities and services is considered to be acceptable.’

The proposed parking fees and hours of operation for all the meter-blessed car parks would be the same as at Princetown – £1 for up to three hours and £2 for longer.

Coaches would pay £4.

The charges will apply from 10am to 6pm every day.

‘This enables regular visitors ­ – for example local dog walkers – to park at the beginning and end of the day without the need to pay for parking, the report said.

Investment of £205,000 would be needed to maintain car parks over the next few years, the authority was told.