The days of scrambling around for change to pay to park across Sheffield are now at an end with a new cashless card payment system set to be rolled out across the city.
Sheffield City Council is introducing 193 new state of the art solar-powered machines with chip and pin / contactless card payment facilities built in.
This will complement the existing Pay By Phone service which allows customers to pay over the phone, or by smartphone app.
As part of the upgrade, some older machines will be removed and replaced. Some locations will see machines replaced with Pay by Phone poles and signs, but there will always be a machine payment option within walking distance.
In the latest upgrade, machines will continue to accept cash, but over half the machine stock in Sheffield will now also provide additional facilities to pay by chip and pin or contactless cashless payments.
Councillor Jack Scott, Cabinet Member for Development and Transport at Sheffield City Council, said:
“These upgrades will improve reliability and make parking easier and more convenient for everyone. I’m really proud we are replacing all the mains-powered equipment around the city with solar powered machines.
“This shows how every bit of the Council can play its part in helping to tackle climate change. Introducing contactless card readers, alongside our Pay By Phone app means it will be quicker and easier to pay for parking than ever before.
“Of course, I hope that motorists don’t experience inconvenience while these machines are upgraded but having a service that works for everyone and respects the way people pay for things in the 21st century is a very visible sign of progress and will be worth any temporary disruption.
“Whilst some places have moved towards entirely cashless parking we still think there are people who prefer to use cash and I don’t want to exclude them.”
Paybyphone is an easy to use app. Simply download the Paybyphone app at your own leisure before parking. Paybyphone is convenient and can be used on the move giving you the freedom to socialise, shop or visit friends without time limitations. Businesses can benefit from the paybyphone app as customers don’t need to leave to top up parking payment.
Motorists can top up their parking virtually with reminders on the app or by text, which reduces the worry about fines.
Results from other cities show that customers using cashless payment methods tend to stay longer than cash users, meaning this will hopefully benefit local businesses.
