DRIVERS parking in Leicester will soon have the option to pay by phone using a new system being rolled out over the coming weeks.
The city council is working with provider PayByPhone, which already operates similar schemes with other local councils, to introduce the service at all Leicester’s surface-level car parks, as well as at pay and display on-street parking bays.
Using the system will give motorists a wider choice of ways to pay, in addition to card payments or cash.
By using an app they will also be able to access other helpful features, such as maps to allow drivers to locate car parks and pin their location once they have parked, as well as a nearby parking feature showing drivers the closest PayByPhone parking location.
Drivers using the app can also receive a reminder text before their parking session expires, so they can either extend their session if they need to or get back to their car in good time to avoid a penalty notice.
Pay and display city centre car parks at Dover Street, Upper Brown Street and the Phoenix have already been connected to the system, with the remaining surface-level cars parks at Victoria Park, Abbey Park, Watermead Park and St Margaret’s Pastures coming online in the next week.
It is due to be available at all pay and display on-street parking spaces by early March 2023.
Leicester deputy city mayor for transport, climate emergency and clean air, Cllr Adam Clarke, said: “We’ve been steadily making improvements to parking across the city over the last few years, including upgrading most pay and display machines to accept contactless card payments and simplifying the payment tariffs.
“In Dover Street we’ve seen around 12 percent of parking payments made using this method in the first week of operation, with a further increase already this week.
“In addition to being easier for motorists to use, cashless parking facilities are also far cheaper to maintain and service than conventional pay and display machines which take cash.
“Combined with the features designed to help drivers in finding their nearest cashless car park, we hope this system proves popular and simple to use.”
Adam Dolphin, Managing Director for PayByPhone UK, added: “We are thrilled to launch PayByPhone with Leicester City Council, helping to make the parking experience as hassle-free as possible for residents and visitors to this area.
“People have busy lives, and our app simplifies things so they can get on with what matters most to them, without having to worry about parking. I would encourage drivers to download the app before their visit - registration takes less than 30 seconds - so that they can make use of the new service immediately.”
For a full list of areas where PayByPhone is available and to start using it, download the app from the App Store or Google Play Store, or visit the PayByPhone website at www.paybyphone.co.uk
(Ends)