Ticketless Parking Meters (60) installed
THE days of dashing back to your car to buy another parking ticket will soon be a thing of the past.
Sligo County Council is rolling out 60 new ticketless parking meters across the town.
The new machines started being installed yesterday and should be finished by the end of this week, with the machines going ‘ live’ from next Monday 29 th October.
The old machines will then be removed from our streets.
Motorists will be able to buy a parking ticket via a mobile app, SMS, phone call or on their website.
Shoppers who get delayed in town will also have the option of paying for parking with retailers that are set up with Payzone to do so.
People who chose to pay this way are not obliged to display a ticket and are saved the need to make a return trip to their car - instead they can continue about their business.
Signs are being installed in parking areas and it’s intended to renew all parking signs in the Pay and Display areas of town in due course.
Independent Councillor Ma- rie Casserly said it adds value to Sligo and shows “we’re able to keep up with other towns around the country.”
“They’re easy to use and the improved signage will be welcome,” she told the meeting.
“There’s a significant increase in cares in Sligo town on a Sunday. The fact that you can pay for parking in retail shops is also good,” she said.
“It’s a great improvement to the town. We need to promote the free parking on a Sunday a lot more,” she added.
Fine Gael Councillor Sinead Maguire said it was a “considerable step up in service for the public.”
“It’ ll increase the number of people coming into the town and will increase accessibility with people not having to run back to the car to feed the meter,” she said.
AAA Councillor Gino O’Boyle asked if there was a charge to use the app.
Council officials told him that there was a “nominal fee” on the app to the Park Rite Ltd company which runs the app, but “not to the Council.”
Normal parking charges will apply. The Council has signed a 5-year contract to Park Rite Ltd starting 17 th September.