NEW FREE PARKING SCHEME
RESIDENTS BEING URGED TO TRY OUT NEW APP WITH REWARDS FROM RETAILERS
Shoppers are being urged to have their say on parking in Sunderland – and help try out a unique free parking scheme for the city.
Sunderland Bid, the city council and the Bridges are working together on plans to trial an innovative new app.
ParkingPerx , developed by North East company ProxiSmart, allows users to earn rewards from retailers, which can then be used to pay car-parking charges.
If the pilot is successful, it is hoped the scheme will be rolled out across the city.
Now, people are being asked to participate in a survey about parking in Sunderland, with some of those taking part being invited to try out the app.
Bid marketing and communications manager Gemma Dishman believes ParkingPerx could be a “game changer” for city centre shopping and will prove a huge boost in combating the trend to buy online.
“ParkingPerx does what the best apps do – makes life easier and provides valuable incentives to shop local,” she said.
“Once the pilot is complete, we hope that more and more retailers will get on board as it is a win/win for everyone. Shoppers can gather credits to use for their parking, while merchants can use it as an opportunity to incentivise people to come in to the city centre.”
The app was developed by ProxiSmart boss Chris Reed in just under a year and has already scooped awards, including being a regional winner of KPMG’s Best British Mobile Startup awards.
ProxiSmart has also been named as one of the Best 10 Tech Startups in the North at Tech North’s Northern Stars awards. Chris said he chose Sunderland for the pilot “because of the innovative, forward thinking and support we’ve had from the Bid, Sunderland City Council and the Bridges”.
The system uses Smart Beacon technology, which sends messages to users when they park and shop. Its unique features include the ability to extend a stay in a car park without having to return to the car.
“Each retailer decides on what their offer or discount is going to be so the benefits will differ from shop to shop,” said Chris.
“And the shopper simply presents their phone at the till to claim their reward.
“The solution then awards the user their ParkingPerx, which they can use as a credit to pay for their parking fees.”
Coun Michael Mordey, Sunderland City Council Portfolio Holder for City Services, is confident the app will help drive retail.
“Sunderland has a wide rangeofshoppingandleisure attractions and this app is an opportunity and incentive to remind people about buying locally and supporting their community,” he said.
The survey is at https://www.surveymonkey. co.uk/r/ParkingSunderland.