Issue - meetings

As detailed in the recommendation.

Councillor Banks introduced the report and explained that since the county wide introduction of car parking charges in 2015, the only method of payment for parking was at a pay and display machine located within the car park.  Those machines only offered a coin payment solution which required the customer to have the correct amount of money to purchase their pay and display tickets as the machines could not dispense change.

            To improve the customer experience, there was an option to introduce a cashless payment solution as an alternative to pay and display machines and to complement the existing cash payment method.  This was a pay by phone solution which had already been introduced in all other North Wales authorities’ car parks and if offered a secure way of paying for parking via the internet, SMS, telephone or by an app on a smartphone.

            The Chief Officer (Streetscene and Transportation) added that there was a requirement for the customer to register with the service provider as a first time user.  The solution provided a convenient method of payment on the day, but the customer could also extend to longer stay parking options, such as to a week or a month, and a season ticket.

            Customers would not have to display a parking ticket and could pay to extend their stay without having to return to their car by paying a small fee.

            There was no initial set up fee and the signage and back office system were provided free of charge.  Coin payments would continue to be accepted in all car parks.

            Councillor Johnson welcomed the report and the information on other towns and cities where the app could be used.

RESOLVED:

That the implementation of a cashless payment solution for car parking charges be supported.