Brisbane has an innovative new parking payment app

Tuesday, 31 of May 2016
By Bruna Corralo 

Any on-street paid parking session can be started, stopped and paid for from your mobile device

Thinking in making easier to park in Brisbane, Brisbane City Council is deploying an app-based parking system that will enable over one million motorists to pay for street parking by simply using their smartphones. Any on-street paid parking session can be started, stopped and paid for from Cello Park Australia.

Once have registered your personal and billing details - vehicle’s registration plate number and credit card information - users can start and stop their parking session by phone.

According to the official city web site it will be simple to use: “After you have parked your vehicle, open the Cello Park Australia app and make sure you select your vehicle registration from the drop down menu at the bottom of the page. Select Brisbane as your location from the drop down menu, and enter the correct zone number (look for the seventh digit number printed on the side of the nearest parking meter) and select start. Scan the QR code located on the side of the parking meter (directly underneath the 7 digit zone number) which will start your session automatically.”

Once the parking session has started the countdown timer will begin and display the maximum remaining time for your parking session. When your parking session has started, parking officers will see a valid parking session is underway when they check your number plate.

As well as starting, ending is also simple. The users need to select “stop” in the app or on the website. Your account is charged only for the time that you actually use.

Using the premium service, which costs $1,99 per month, users can choose to receive SMS reminders advising when their parking session has 15 minutes remaining. This service can also detect if you have driven away without ending the parking session and reminds the customer to stop the current parking session.

Beside of providing greater convenience for motorists, it will also save them money. Previous research shows that around 50 percent of motorists tend to waste money overfeeding the parking meter through fear of getting a fine. In Queensland, this equates to more than $2.25 million a year, which is thrown away on parking that isn’t used. With this new system, the drivers only ever pay for the time that they’re parked.

The system is also available for those without smartphone. The users can still pay for parking by phoning Cello Park Australia or by visiting the website and follow the prompts.