People with smartphones who download the app can pay for parking without having to use coins. Photograph by Paul Taylor
People with smartphones who download the app can pay for parking without having to use coins. Photograph by Paul Taylor
A new option for paid parking is operating in off-street car parks owned by Hastings District Council.
Th council has signed up to ParkMate, which means people with smartphones who download the app can pay for parking without having to use coins. Paying for parking with coins is still available.
The service is run by private car parking company Wilsons, which charges a fee of 30 cents on top of the parking fee for each transaction in council car parks.
Previous public feedback on whether parking should be paid for at the meter or through property rates showed that one of the biggest issues was the need for another way to other than by coins - increasingly rare in the wallets of today, said council's planning and regulatory services manager John O'Shaughnessy.
Council has chosen ParkMate as once the app is downloaded it can be used for the many car parks linked to it across New Zealand. Other non-council car parks in Hastings also have the option available.
