25% of all motorists park via mobile phone

The old-fashioned habit of carrying a supply of coins to pay for the parking metre is quickly becoming a relic of the past. Nearly a quarter of all motorists pay for on-street parking in The Hague using their mobile telephone, according to figures from the Municipality of The Hague.

Increasingly fewer motorists are buying a ticket from the automated ticket machine. While at one time everybody once placed money in the metre (after all, there was no other option), now only 71% of motorists still do this. More than 24% use their mobile phones and 5% pay with a credit card or ‘chipknip’ (smart card).

GPS

To make it easier on motorists, people with an iPhone can now use GPS if they first download the iPhone application. The motorist opens the application and the telephone pinpoints the location using a global positioning system (GPS). The driver then confirms the parking zone and the metre starts running. Once he is about to leave, he can push the ‘stop’ button. The parking fees are automatically deducted from the driver’s bank account at the end of the month.

The application can also be downloaded in 26 other cities in the Netherlands.

Paying with your mobile phone

For years motorists have been able to pay for parking by sending a text message with their mobile phone. Three companies offer this service in The Hague.

Drivers receive a parking card, which they place behind the windscreen of their car. A text message is sent when the car is parked and the parking warden can check the card to see whether the car has been registered for the parking space. The car then needs to be de-registered once it leaves the parking space. If the driver forgets, he’ll receive a warning message on his telephone.