Cars that scan licence plates and touch-screen paperless payment systems are just some of the ways Hamilton City Council is shifting towards a smarter and more efficient way of managing parking within the central city.

Over the next six months, a series of changes will be introduced, starting with the use of hybrid licence plate recognition vehicles.

“The technology in these cars helps us monitor parking compliance more efficiently and find those parking illegally – such as on footpaths, across cycle lanes and on ‘no stopping’ lines,” said Council’s City Transportation Manager Gordon Naidoo.

“It will also make it safer for our parking team who often deal with unhappy members of the public. Instead of tickets placed on windows, these will be posted out to the registered car owner.”

The technology can also be integrated with ‘pay by plate’ devices. Over the coming months, these devices will replace the single-head parking meters with a paperless system – where you would use your licence plate number to pay for parking.

Licence plate recognition is already used in other New Zealand cities as a way of improving carpark functionality and user experience. Plans to install the technology in Garden Place and Sonning carparks are also underway.

The vehicles will be operating from July, which coincides with the roll out of new all-day paid parking areas within the central city. The new system will ensure the parking spaces within the all-day paid parking areas, and the nearby two-hour free parking spaces, are actively monitored.

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“This supports our local businesses by continuing to have a regular turn-over of nearby parking spaces to assist with their trading,” said Naidoo.

The new stay all day parking areas are being introduced on Knox Street and Nisbet Street, providing an all-day, 8am to 6pm, parking option for those who work or spend longer periods of time in the central city. Parking will be $6 per space per day, with payment made via the PayMyPark app.

“As technology advances, we’re always looking at new ways to incorporate smart technology into our facilities to make parking easier and more efficient for Hamiltonians. This also supports future transport improvements planned for our growing city.” said Naidoo.

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