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Aucklanders can use their mobile at a parking pay and display machine to pay but Wellington motorists can now park in the CBD with no need for cash, coins, cards and not even needing to go to parking meters and pay and display machines.
A new service starts tomorrow in which you just use your mobile.
Wellington City Council has signed an agreement with Parking Solutions, a New Zealand private company, to provide the service, called Phone|2|Park.
After registering on the Phone|2|Park website, customers are sent a User ID card which is then fixed to the inside of their windscreen. The customer then simply sends a short text message indicating parking time and the zone they are in. Transactions are billed to the customer’s account, which must be in credit.
The system is private and secure and customers only pay for the parking they use. They can also choose to receive a text message when their parking time is about to expire.
Aucklanders try to work out how to use the machines
Parking wardens use a handset to scan the customer’s User ID on the inside of the windscreen. Checking is quick and easy, allowing wardens to monitor large numbers of vehicles efficiently.
Customers pay transaction fees for various aspects of the system, like reminder texts, but this will be offset by the drop in tickets. Wellington City Council Performance Infrastructure Manager, Jon Visser says “this system will significantly benefit people with mobility impairment, who rely on vehicles to access the city and may have trouble using parking meters.”
The scheme was successfully piloted in Wellington in late 2005. The pilot involved 40 motorists over four months. All participants were enthusiastic about the new system, citing the following:
• It was a big advantage not having to get out of the car
• It was great being able to extend parking time via a text message rather than having to walk back to the car
• It was helpful receiving reminder texts that your parking time was about to run out
Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown says in the long-term the Council may be able to reduce the number of pay and display machines.
“This is about innovation and technology to provide better services for Wellingtonians,” says Mayor Wade-Brown.
“Transport choice means the car – however it’s powered or hopefully pooled – is still an important way for people to get to town.
If customers are happy with the new system then we, as the parking authority, will be too.
5 Comments
Being able to extend parking is not a good thing, IMHO, as it discourage turnover of parking spaces.
That is not something that should in any way be incentivised.
I assume they mean extend with in the time limit. For example you pay for one hour at a P120 and decide you need another 30 minutes. I quite like the parking policy in Parnell where the price increases (at an increasing rate) the longer you stay (no time limit). Obviously aggressive turnover is needed for CBD street parks.
“It was a big advantage not having to get out of the car”
so how’d you’d do your shopping then?
happy to walk to the store, but to lazy to go do a ticket transaction.
sorry but that is just plain lazy!
In Calgary, Canada the meters require you to enter your license plate and then pay. You can set up an account so that with your smart phone you can tag in and tag out of a parking area, so you only pay for what you use. If you park beyond the limit you will be charged the maximum and then open to be ticketed. The parking wardens are able to drive around and scan license plates so can cover large areas much quicker (also good for them in winter when it is -30°C!).
@Penford, sounds great! as Wellington gets pretty damn Windy!