Phone plan calls time on parking discs

PARKING discs are being replaced in Limerick by a new high-tech pay-as-you-park system.

Motorists will be able to use their mobile phones to pay for parking space in the city centre in a new scheme which is expected to be taken up by cities around the world.

ParkMagic will replace parking discs and a pilot scheme involving 500 motorists will commence using the new mobile phone pay-for-parking system this week.

The new system is operated by a small display unit which is placed near the front windscreen of the car.

This unit will indicate that the car owner has car parking credit. Pay-as-you-go phone users will be able to obtain parking credit by using a special mobile phone card which will be on sale in all locals shops. Mobile phone users who pay monthly bills will be able to open a credit account using credit cards.

With ParkMagic, when a person parks, they ring in a special number and this immediately begins to activate the credit card and a credit reading is immediately visible on the display unit in the car. The ParkMagic idea is the brainchild of two entrepreneurs, Philip Hayes, Cork, and Paul Fitzgerald from Pallaskenry, Co Limerick, both graduates of the University of Limerick.

Philip said: “I came up with the idea when sitting in a car park in Dublin one day going through my pockets for change to pay for parking. We then began to work on a concept using out background in telecommunications.”

Philip said that Limerick City Council is the first local authority to test the new system.

“We are already looking to the US and European markets. This system can work anywhere. A person wishing to park in a city in the US can ring a free phone number which will put them in contact with our control centre in Limerick. We will then pass on the payment to the city authority and take a commission.”

David Fitzgerald said the ParkMagic system is the only one of its kind in the world and they have been working on it for over three years.

He said: “It is incredibly easy to use and takes only seconds to activate. Motorists will no longer have to run to a shop for parking disc book, or have the worry about getting a ticket if they stay over the permitted time in a parking zone. For instance, if a person is delayed all they need do is use the mobile phone to extend their parking credit. This will immediately appear on the ParkMagic display unit in their car. The ParkMagic credit card will be debited.”

The display units will cost about €20, but a customer will get €10 credit parking with a purchase.

Each unit will have its own identity number, which means that it cannot be used by anybody else if stolen.

Philip Hayes said the new ParkMagic system will help encourage people to use the city centre.

He said: “Shops will be able to use it to give credit parking time to regular customers and to give gift parking at Christmas time.”

He said if the idea is picked up in other cities, it will avoid the necessity of purchasing different parking discs for various towns and cities. “No matter where you are, you ring your number and your credit is on display and we will then pass on the payment to the city in question.”