Dunedin (Tuesday 21 February 2023) No more paper parking tickets! Dunedin City Council is upgrading parking meters around the CBD from February 2023, to use Pay By Plate technology.

Already used by many city councils around New Zealand, Pay By Plate parking is faster, more reliable and more environmentally friendly, and ensures Dunedin is keeping up with modern parking technology.

“We want our city centre to be accessible and convenient for locals and visitors, so having a consistent and reliable parking meter system is really important,” says Jeanine Benson, DCC Group Manager Transport.

“We’ve heard from the community that our current meters aren’t fit for purpose, and we’re confident that the upgrade will benefit Dunedin carpark users by making the parking process faster and easier.”

Pay By Plate technology means there are no more paper parking tickets, which will save an estimated 100km of paper waste per year. Users pay for their parking by entering their vehicle’s registration/license plate number. Once payment is complete, users can simply head to their destination, without the need to go back to their vehicle to place the ticket on the dashboard. Parking wardens can access the system remotely to confirm vehicles have paid.

The upgrade ensures all parking meters will accept three forms of payment – coins, credit cards via PayWave, and payment through the PayMyPark app. Meters will also be more reliable, as less maintenance is required.

Dunedin City Council contractors will begin work to upgrade the city’s parking meters from 27 February 2023. Support staff will be available on the street as the meters are upgraded to offer assistance to those who require it.

A demonstration Pay By Plate parking meter will be available for the public to try out in the main DCC Customer Services foyer in the Civic Centre from 3 – 10 March, in the Octagon on 3 March, and in the Wall Street Mall at lunchtime on 2 March. More details about the parking meter upgrade, including a how-to video and map, is available at www.dunedin.govt.nz/pay-by-plate.

© Scoop Media