13 May 2011

Pre-pay parking could lessen council revenue from fines

2:03 pm on 13 May 2011

A new pre-pay parking system could reduce the revenue that Wellington City Council gets from parking fines.

A Phone2Park scheme to pay by text top-up was launched on Friday.

Motorists can register for an online card to display in a windscreen and then pay by text.

Mayor Celia Wade-Brown says the convenience of text top-up from anywhere will prevent a fine.

However, the council says it relies on parking fines for revenue. It made $9.7 million from fines in the 2009/10 financial year.

The council says it remains to be seen what impact the new system will have,