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New payment machines are being installed in EHDC car parks that allow you to pay on exit.

http://www.eastherts.gov.uk/article/338 ... -motorists

Similar technology as has been installed in Bircherley Green. It works very well as long as drivers can distinguish between an 'O' and a '0' or the letter O and the number 0 which caused a lot of teething troubles - especially when some of them couldn't remember their own license plate number!

On the other hand although extremely welcome a case of locking the stable door etc etc. Say no more.

Hoorah!

A few years too late for me, though. I still have the 'I'd love to spend time looking around your art gallery - but my time's about to run out in the car park' echoing in my head

I would love to have seen use of ANPR as it would be a lot more convenient than having to go and enter your number on arrival.

Although BG car park requires number plate to be entered you still have to pay for your duration up front (it was last time I used it!).

Hopefully this will encourage more people to shop locally longer.

Here in the NW of Spain in the 3 main car parks that I use in the city of La Coruña all have "ANPR" cameras.
Basically when you pull up the camera takes a photo of the number plate, prints it on the ticket and stores it on the magnetic strip on the back.
You go off and do what you have to do then when you come back and are ready to pay you go to the machine and pay. They charge to the minute so you pay for the time you are actually there, though it does cause odd amounts my last being 4€37cents. Then jump in your car and you have 5/10 minutes to go out (depending on the size of car park. You then insert the ticket in the exit barrier and a second camera compares your number plate & payment details on the ticket. And that's it. Also the first 20 mins are free

And people say that Spain is technologically slow we had these for the past 6 years

Also had them in Canary Wharf for ages.

The new system is definitely going to be an improvement and to be welcomed. However, the downside, and something that will affect local businesspeople, is the loss of the current Smart Card facility whereby you pre-load credit on to a card for convenient use for parking. It also brings with it discounted rates. As I understand it the new machines will not take Smart Cards. There also seems to be no plan for any kind of business parking permit to replace them.

Sniffer Dog wrote:...the loss of the current Smart Card facility...

Other than the discount, the Smart Cards always mystified me. Why wouldn't you just pay by credit/debit card, with no pre-payment required.

And I have to say that I find RingGo a particularly helpful way of doing parking. Once registered, it's so easy to re-park somewhere. And, even better, you can top up your parking from wherever you are - which is a step forward from original pay & display.

I understand that the new machine do not allow pay on exit! You still have to decide how long you want to say and you have to put in your reg number - no chance of giving your ticket to someone else, yes I know that was not permitted!

So no pay on exit then!

claudiaj wrote:I understand that the new machine do not allow pay on exit! You still have to decide how long you want to say and you have to put in your reg number - no chance of giving your ticket to someone else, yes I know that was not permitted!

So no pay on exit then!

They do allow you to pay on exit. When you arrive at the car park you can "check in" by entering your car registration and payment cards details, either via the PIN pad or contactless. When you return to your vehicle, you "check out" by entering your card details and the relevant charge is made to your card for however long you've stayed.