West Berkshire Council has introduced what it says is the first integrated, pay & display mobile phone parking payment service available in England.
The new mPARK system from supplier alphyra mpayments allows car park customers in West Berkshire to buy tickets even if they do not have cash. Customers register with the scheme over the phone or online, and then can bill pay-and-display tickets directly to an account backed by a credit card.
Registered customers call the service number displayed on the parking meters. The system recognises the registered mobile phone numbers and asks the motorist to enter the parking meter number. The meter then greets the mobile user with a personal message on the meter screen, and lets the user choose their parking time by using buttons on the machine’s facia.
Users can also receive a text message alerting them that they have 10 minutes left before their parking time expires. The scheme covers participating car parks in Newbury, Pangbourne, Theale and Hungerford.
Keith Chopping, West Berkshire’s Councillor for Transportation said, “This system is an advance that will provide customers with a convenient cashless option to pay for their parking.”
Quelle: Publictechnology, 15.11.2005
