Parking app to ease hassle for motorists
Register on mobile phone and get trouble-free time
A new way of paying for parking in Perth and Kinross has been introduced by the council.
PKC has teamed up with RingGo to provide a mobile phone application where people can pay for their stay even if they don’t have any spare change to hand.
The app allows motorists to pay for parking in all on-street parking spaces and most off-street council-run car parks.
The idea is to make it more convenient for people to park without the hassle of searching for change. It is expected visitors will benefit most from the scheme.
To use RingGo, users must register in advance before parking. This can be done either by downloading the RingGo app on to their capable phones for free, or online by visiting www.myringgo.com/bookparking.
This will allow users to create a personal account by registering their car registration number and card details.
Each parking area will have its own location code and those with GPS will be able to use this to determine the appropriate code. As a back-up signs have been put up to assist motorists to pinpoint their location and continue to use the RingGo system.
The new app could reduce the need to carry cash Motorists can receive a text message from RingGo 10 minutes before their digital ticket expires, giving them the option to extend their parking time for up to an hour directly from their smartphone.
Parking charges will stay the same; but there is a convenience charge of 20 pence on top of motorists’ tariffs, including when they extend a ticket, and 10 pence for each of their reminder texts. This extra charge goes directly to RingGo.
Those using Kinnoull Street car park in Perth may already be familiar with the application as it is used by private operator Smart Parking, as well as councils around Scotland.
Edinburgh City Council ran into problems over the festive period when RingGo apparently informed motorists parking was free on a specific day, only for council wardens to issue charge notices.