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Top off Your Parking Meter with a Cell Call

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the make-the-call-from-your-friend's-phone dept.

dstone writes "Vancouver, Canada has just become the first major city in North America to allow motorists to feed their parking meters with their cell phone. Drivers call a number on each meter, the system recognizes them by Caller ID, they enter how many minutes they want, and that's it. The system sends them a reminder text message before their time is up and they can extend their time remotely. The catch? The company contracted to provide the service, Verrus, makes their money through a 30-cent 'convenience fee.' Less pockets full of change, less parking tickets, seems like a step forward."

5 of 430 comments (clear)

  1. Meter stuffingt = bad by dotmax · · Score: 4, Informative
    In a lot of [U.S.] cities, running out to stuff another wad of quarters in the meter will get you a ticket, the concept being that metered parking is temporary parking. Curbside metered parking is designed for people who are going to get-in/get-out. If you're going to be somewhere all day you should either be using a parking garage or alternate transportation. In theory.

    This scheme seems like a bullshit technological antisolution that would only make the current street parking situation worse,

  2. We have that in England :) by jjeffrey · · Score: 3, Informative

    Verrus operate a similar system at the council car parks in York, England. It's great - finding the change was always a pain!

    They get the number of your cell phone from caller ID and store your vehicle registration plate and credit card details against it the first time you call. The next time you call you just tell it how many hours you want and enter the 4 digit code for the car park you are using. For an extra 10p you can get a reminder SMS. You are also free to call again and extend the parking.

    If you don't have your cell phone with you then you can use any phone, and just tap in your cell number and the PIN number you set the first time you called. You also use that PIN if you want to change credit card or vehicle registration numbers.

    The wardens have machines that have details of the electronically issued tickets on them, so they don't clamp you :)

  3. Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature by jelloshotgun · · Score: 4, Informative

    It's still $15 in Brookline.

    --
    Sometimes I feel like +1 Reasonable should exist.
  4. Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature by Vip · · Score: 3, Informative

    The $300 fine is for businesses, like paper shredding companies. General public would have a $40 fine.

    The City of Calgary is also going with catching drivers who stay at the meter too long.

    There's also talk of using a similar parking meter system as described in TFA.

    Vip

  5. Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature by riflemann · · Score: 4, Informative

    They have a solution to this in many European cities:

    Wheelclamps.

    To Mr RichBastard, paying a fine is no deterrent. Mr RichBastard having to wait an hour or two for the guys with the wheel clamp keys is gonna re-think his parking strategy.

    Especially when they (purposely) take their time coming to unclamp you.

    --
    Sparks:Gadget:Beer Maker