A NEW cashless parking system, which will allow motorists to use on-street parking without visiting a parking meter, will be piloted in Dublin city centre in the coming weeks.
The new parking tag, which will be available throughout the city from February, can be used to pay for parking using a mobile phone and credit or debit card. Motorists can also top up their parking tag remotely for a period of three hours, eliminating the need to return to their car to “feed” the meter.
Motorists who have an M50 “Easy Pass” toll account, which has been available since the introduction of barrier-free tolling, can use this pass to pay for their on-street parking. New accounts can also be set up at www.parkingtag.ie or by calling 0818 300 161.
Once an Easy Pass or parking tag is obtained and attached to the windscreen, the user calls the phone number on the reverse side, enters the number of zone they are in and the duration of parking time they need. If additional time is needed, the motorist can top up their tag while away from their car, as long as they do not exceed the area’s parking-time limit.
The motorist can choose to have a text message reminder when their parking time is due to elapse. The tags will carry a bar code to enable clampers to identify if the user has paid for their parking and is parked within the time limits.
Occasional users or motorists who do not wish to set up a parking tag account can buy pre-paid parking tags in newsagents. These tags can also be topped up remotely. Pay and display machines are being retained for those who would rather pay for parking in cash and are happy to return to the machine if they want to extend their parking.
