Parking facilities in Swindon have been brought into the 21st century after stations were installed across the city that allow residents to use their mobile phones to pay for parking.
The original payment methods and ticket machines will still be in use but now there is the additional option of paying by mobile, which cuts out the inconvenience of scrabbling round for change to feed into a pay and display machine. Additionally customers who opt to use this method of payment will be able to receive an alert when their ticket is about to expire and they can extend their stay by topping up the fee from their phone. Pay and display car parks will operate under the new service excluding Fleming Way, Brunel North and West due to the barrier control system.
For charges less than £2 a 10p charge will be levied plus the regular ticket price, with 20p for a charge of over £2 and an additional 10p for the text reminder service. Vat receipts can be obtained, free of charge, by sending an email or text request.
Councillor Garry Perkins, deputy leader of Swindon council, stated the council are aware that reasonably priced, good quality parking plays a major part in the economic success of town centres which has brought about the investment in the new system and follows a recent price reduction in some car parks.
Parking warden’s mobile devices will be updated automatically following payment, doing away with the need to display a parking ticket in your vehicle.
PayByPhone, who operate similar services in cities and towns around the UK, are running the scheme in conjunction with Swindon Council.