Solar meters go live for city parking
Nelson’s new parking meters are live, with the solar-powered payby-plate meters now having replaced all paper-ticket machines.
The meters, which are in effect as of 8am this morning, allow payment via coins, payWave and an app called PayMyPark, which allows users to top-up their parking from a distance if their trip to town takes longer than expected.
Transaction fees apply to payments made via the app or payWave, but these fees are not set by Nelson City Council and go directly to the PayMyPark app or the payWave provider.
The new meters are more environmentally friendly than the previous machines, as they do not dispense any tickets – instead, users type their number plate into the machine.
The meters also close a loophole in the free hour parking scheme that cost the council up to $100,000 in lost profits in a year, and will save the council over $100,000 in costs each year.
Parking wardens can use handheld devices to check how long each car has left before its paid parking runs out.
But the council said wardens would ‘‘take a more lenient approach’’ to payment infringements while people got used to the system.
‘‘Council’s parking enforcement wardens will play an educational role, ensuring people avoid making mistakes.’’
The old electronic meters were dismantled so parts could be reused in the new meters, and the older lollipop meters were sold for $10 each, raising $1500 for the Fifeshire Foundation.
Despite the new meters making things easier, mayor Rachel Reese encouraged commuters in particular to consider parking further afield or taking alternative transport.
‘‘Local businesses have told us that their customers are sometimes unable to find a park when they come to spend time in our city centre,’’ Reese said.
‘‘In August, Nelsonians will be able to pay for bus travel with Bee Card, our new electronic ticketing system. While we make that transition, bus travel is free in our region, so this could be a good time to see if taking the bus to work works for you.’’