Cashless parking will soon be available in Park and Pay car parks across Aberdeenshire, providing an additional level of convenience for residents and visitors to the area.
That means no need to make sure you have change, the chance to remotely extend parking and potentially less time spent in the cold and rain standing at a machine.
Aberdeenshire Council has paired up with RingGo to allow car park users to pay through a mobile app, online, by text or by phone, a service already used in other towns and cities across the country.
It will be introduced in the coming weeks, but you can pre-register by downloading the free smartphone app now. Alternatively, you can use the RingGo website www.myRingGo.co.uk
You can also register when you park, using the RingGo app or by calling RingGo on 0345 559 5959.
If you want to take advantage of the short, free parking periods available at relevant Aberdeenshire sites you must still obtain a ticket from the machine and display it throughout your stay.
The traditional methods of paying for parking will continue to be available for those unable to use the new system.
Chairman of Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee, David Aitchison, said
This is something which adds a little more convenience to something many of us have to do on a regular basis, and I’m sure it will be well used by the travelling public.
ISC vice-chair, Graeme Clark, added
I’m sure many people find themselves without the necessary change to pay for parking, or needing to top up parking to avoid a fine while busy doing something important, so I’m sure many motorists will be looking forward to the arrival of the service.
Many motorists may already have used the app in other Scottish locations such as Perth, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Fife, East Ayrshire, the Borders and South Ayrshire. The system is also used by some private operators such as NCP, Scotrail and Dundee University.
A small administration charge of ten pence is payable to cover the cost of providing the system and a 15 pence charge is applied for each notification text received – these charges go to RingGo. The latter feature can be turned on or off by changing your account settings.
Find your nearest RingGo parking location and further information about the service, including details of how to register or download the app on the Aberdeenshire Council website at http://aberdeenshire.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/car-parking/cashless-parking.
Aberdeenshire Council hope to announce the new system becoming operational in the next few weeks.
