Following hot on the heels of the new Pay by Plate parking in Blenheim’s CBD, Council’s Assets and Services Committee recently agreed, subject to full Council approval, to begin phase two of the project.

This will see Picton’s off-street pay and display meters upgraded to Pay by Plate, followed by the conversion of the remaining 160 ‘lollipop’ meters in Blenheim.

Parking times and tariffs will remain the same but Pay by Plate allows people to move between kerbside parking spaces and use unspent parking credit during the day.

Project Manager Robyn Searle says the roll out of Pay by Plate in Blenheim’s CBD over the past few months has been successful and it’s important to keep the momentum going.

“The next phase of the project will be in two steps. The first is the conversion of the Pay and Display meters in Picton’s off-street car parks, including the ferry terminal car parks. This will be carried out prior to Labour Weekend, followed by the replacement of the old lollipop meters in Blenheim after Easter next year,” Robyn said.

Some kerbside parks will change from two to four hour parking, and others to a time limit system. This will occur in certain areas where it is uneconomical to install a Pay by Plate terminal due to the low use of the car parking spaces, or to ensure consistency with nearby parking areas. For example, 13 kerbside parks in Russell Terrace will be converted to a four-hour time limit to match the adjacent Clubs of Marlborough car park, and in Scott Street, three kerbside parks outside Wairau Pharmacy will be converted to 10-minute car parks.

Pay by Plate is easy to use; you simply enter your plate number, select your parking time, press ok, pay and walk away. The ticketless system means there’s no need to return to your vehicle after you’ve paid for your parking, and the ‘Pay my Park’ app allows drivers to pay for parking and top up remotely using credit/debit cards or internet banking.

Further information can be found at www.marlborough.govt.nz/services/parking-roads-and-transport/pay-by-plate-is-here

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