WIMMERA drivers will soon have the option to pay for parking in Horsham via their phones.
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Horsham Rural City Council decided at Monday’s council meeting to introduce a new mobile parking-meter payment system.
Easy Park is an electronic option for parking-meter payments.
Drivers have the option to pay their parking-meter time using a mobile phone rather than coins.
Planning and economic director Tony Bawden said council was keen to take advantage of the new system.
He said council would meet tomorrow to decide a starting date for an Easy Park trial.
“It has been introduced throughout Victoria and has been quite successful to date,” he said.
“The proposal has also been positively met by our parking team. They are all very enthusiastic.
“The practicality of the system is quite seamless in how it works, but we will continue to monitor the success of the trial period.”
Mr Bawden said motorists would need to download the Easy Park app to pay for their parking.
“The system will operate in tandem with our current arrangement of paying with coins, so people will have a choice,” he said.
“This will benefit all users.”
Mr Bawden said the app also sent drivers a reminder when their meter was about to expire.
Council will trial the system for six months.
Cr Pam Clarke said it was an exciting process.
“To get a reminder that the meter is about to expire would be wonderful,” she said.
“The system also doesn’t stop what we are doing now.
“If people don’t have a phone or they aren’t good with technology, that’s fine, they can still use coins.”
Mayor David Grimble also welcomed the system.
“This concept is not new. It’s been trialled in other councils,” he said.
“Nothing will change for drivers.
“They can just choose a different way to pay.”
Mr Bawden said there would be a surcharge for users paying for parking with the app.
“So instead of paying $1, they might pay $1.03 perhaps to cover the convenience,” he said.
The system will not cost council anything to implement and there will be no ongoing operating costs.
Mr Bawden said council would not need to install new infrastructure other than instructional signs.
The City of Kingston, Warrnambool City Council, City of Yarra and the City of Frankston have already introduced the system.