Modern New Pay & Display Machines Installed in Reading
- The process of removing old pay & display machines and installing 96 new models around the town is under way
- The new solar-powered machines will accept contactless payment with bank cards and mobile payment apps as well as RingGo
- Cash payments will be available in locations where there has historically been high cash use
Modern new pay and display machines are being installed across the town as part of an upgrade of on-street parking facilities.
All 96 new machines will allow contactless payment by bank cards and mobile payment apps for the first time ever in Reading, as well as RingGo.
Cash payments will also be available in about 20 of the new on-street machines, in locations where there has historically been high cash use, such as around the Royal Berkshire Hospital.
The modern new equipment will replace old ticket machines which had reached the end of their useful life.
Many of the 168 old machines had been covered in preparation for the equipment upgrade. The process of installing the new machines is now under way and is expected to be completed in July.
Eighty-two of the new machines will be used for on-street parking with the remainder in Council car parks.
All the new machines will be solar-powered and the cashless models will be ticketless, supporting the Council’s aim to cut its carbon footprint, and meaning motorists will not need to return to their car to display a ticket.
Motorists will need to ensure they correctly enter their car registration number when paying to park as no ticket will be issued and parking enforcement officers will check a vehicle’s payment status digitally on their handheld device, or by using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR).
A review of Reading’s on-street parking service found that many ticket machines had a low number of cash transactions and a majority of payments were through RingGo.
Using RingGo incurs a 20p fee but allows motorists to extend their parking session remotely and set reminders when a session is coming to an end. Payment can also be made by calling RingGo, so a smart phone is not required.
John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said:
“The new pay and display machines now being installed around the town will allow motorists to pay for parking using bank card or mobile payment apps for the first time ever in Reading.
“While the new methods of payment will be welcomed by many, we recognise that cash payment remains popular in some areas of the town and machines will still accept cash in these locations.
“Overall, the modern new machines should offer a much more convenient service for a majority of motorists using on-street parking spaces in Reading.”
A new web page has been created with details of the new on-street parking service in Reading, including a map showing locations of ticket machines and payment options. Visit: https://www.reading.gov.uk/vehicles-roads-and-transport/parking/on-street-parking-and-pay-machines/.
The Council will continue to monitor the new arrangements and will respond to any local demands or issues, subject to available budgets.