CBD workers could be relieved of the painful task of scrounging for coins each morning if the City of Greater Bendigo introduces technology allowing customers to pay for parking via smartphones.
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Credit card payment options are available at the council’s two multi-storey car parks – in Hargreaves and Edward streets. But elsewhere across the CBD, many full-time workers are faced with the task of having to find almost $30 in loose change each week.
Due to the cost, the council has no plans to install new machines that accept credit cards across the CBD, says Nev Zimmer, the council’s parking manager.
“The on-street parking payment equipment is not as advanced or expensive as the equipment installed at the multi-storey car parks and would require significant costly upgrade or equipment replacement to allow for credit card and note payment,” he said.
But council officers have been turning their attention to the possibility of using systems that accept credit card payments via smartphone apps.
“City officers have been monitoring pay-by-phone technology, which is an emerging payment method in the industry,” he said.
For the past couple of years, the Yarra council in Melbourne has used a system in which motorists have been able to use an app to pay for parking.
“Once registered, people can use pay by phone to extend their parking time remotely and receive text messages when their parking is about to expire,” the Yarra council’s website says. “The system will also remember users’ vehicle and account details for next time.”
Parking in ticketed areas of Bendigo is generally $1.50 per hour. With machines not giving change, someone carrying only two $2 coins and wanting to park for two hours pays an extra 33 per cent.
Mr Zimmer says the council is unable to provide information on how much extra money it makes from change not returned to customers.
“The existing equipment cannot be programmed to give change with the exception of the multi-storey car parks,” he said.
Machines allowing motorists to pay with bank notes would be costly to install and risky, Mr Zimmer said.
“This more expensive equipment would need to hold reserves of money and therefore would be much more desirable for thieves and much more expensive to purchase and maintain,” he said.
