Image Credit: Shutterstock
February 19, 2016 - 8:00 PM
VERNON - With parking being one of the biggest complaints people have about downtown Vernon, a local business group has pitched the idea of moving to a pay-by-phone system.
The Downtown Vernon Association is asking the City of Vernon to consider setting up pay-by-phone parking to address the inconvenience of not having change, or needing extra time on the meter.
In a letter to Vernon council, executive director Lara Konkin says the pay-by-phone system would promote a more user-friendly experience downtown.
“By offering the pay-by-phone option clients visiting downtown will have the ability to pay for parking easily and customers will not need to have change for the meters. They will also be able to conveniently add money to the meter without having to get up from the table or leave in the middle of an appointment or meeting to plug the meter,” Konkin says.
Customers would also be notified before the meter expires, helping to reduce the frustration of receiving a parking ticket, Konkin says.
People would set up an account and pay by credit card on their mobile device. An extra 25 cents would be added per transaction for the service charge.
There would be some set up costs for the city, but Konkin says they would be low because there’s no expensive hardware associated with the system; once signage and decals have been applied to existing meters the system can be activated.
“To ensure that the pay-by-phone option is successfully implemented throughout the downtown core, the DVA will launch a comprehensive awareness campaign to educate both customers and merchants,” Konkin says.
Konkin will formally present the idea to Vernon council at a meeting Monday, Feb. 22.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2016