Pay-by-phone system for council-owned car parks in Chichester

The improvements to council-owned car parks follow customer feedback on the extension on the pay-when-you-leave system in the Avenue de Chartres car park.

Work will begin in the next couple of weeks to implement the scheme, which also includes website improvements and the remarking of parking spaces.

Councillor Gillian Keegan, cabinet member for commercial services at Chichester District Council, said: “Following customer feedback, we have been working really hard to make parking in the district far easier.

“Our aim is to deliver a number of projects that will have a positive impact to people on a day-to-day basis.

“We’ve seen the benefits that pay on foot can make since we have introduced this in the Avenue de Chartres car park and so we are very excited to introduce contactless payment and payment by phone.

“This will take away all of the stress that people experience when they feel that they have to rush back to the car.”

Customers will be able to pay through ‘Mi Permit’ online, through an app, or by phone.

The scheme includes the option of a reminder via text to offer to extend their time if required when the permit is close to its expiry time.

In the coming weeks, there will be 14 parking machines installed throughout the city which will be able to take card and contactless payments.

By 2018, the council aims to introduce the feautre in all city car parks and at least one rural car park.

In autumn, there will be ‘virtual permits’, where customers can have an online account where payments can be made and change the car registration attached to the permit.

A permit will also not have to be displayed on the vehicle.

Those who receive a penalty charge notice will be able to pay online, or make an appeal against it using the same system.

The council also plans to re-line the car parks, and ‘zone’ them, making it easier for customers to find their cars.

Plans for the car parking scheme come after rural car parks in the district were awarded a ‘Park Mark’ by the British Parking Association, as part of the safer parking scheme.

A total of 5,000 out of 22,000 car parks in the country have won the award.

Gillian added: “We’re also especially pleased that the majority of our rural car parks have been awarded by the British Parking Association and the police as part of their Safer Parking Scheme.

“Personal safety and location have been cited as joint priorities when choosing where to park and so we hope that this will provide additional reassurance to all of our customers.

“Providing accessible, safe and easy to use car parks is our priority.”

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