Margate chosen for ticketless car parking trial scheme

Margate will have the isle's first 'digital' car park

Thanet’s first ticketless car park will be at Trinity Square in Margate and is expected to be in operation from next March, council papers reveal.

In a member’s report it states that the pilot will cost £95,000 for preparation including barriers, cameras and payment machines and software.

The authority is working with Canterbury City Council which is rolling out the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) parking programme following successful trials at four of its car parks.

The system works by using the ANPR technology, touch-screen payment machines, which give change, as well as a contactless card payment point at the exit barrier.

It means motorist only pay for the amount of time they have been parked rather than tickets being set by the hour.

A report on behalf of Cabinet member Ash Ashbee says: “The specific location, Trinity Square, Margate, which has been identified for the initial pilot, will still be in operation during civils works conducted in readiness and installation of equipment to operate ANPR.

“During the works certain restrictions may be in place which will reduce the number of bays available for parking whilst the works are undertaken. The estimated timeline for works is two weeks for readiness (Civils) and one week for equipment installation (ANPR hardware and software).

“Disabled bays will not be affected during the works. Bays directly adjacent to where the new equipment will be installed will be removed and relocated.”

Thanet council says the scheme will mean less need for enforcement. In the Canterbury pilot the number of Penalty Charge Notices went down by 92%, there was more income from people parking for longer periods and improved security because there is less cash to handle.

The report adds: “By deploying one pilot car park initially, TDC has the opportunity to monitor and measure the benefits this style of car park and associated back office solution could have within the district. The pilot will also provide fact based data to inform future parking strategies.”

5 Comments

  1. We use ticketless parking in Canterbury. Much better than the existing method and a welcome addition/choice of paying for parking. Hope it gets rolled out across the whole of Thanet’s major car parks eventually.

  2. Not sure how it will work for the disabled if using ANPR police type cameras and barriers. And, the disabled bays need to stay next to the doctors surgery which has it’s access in the car park, not shifted elsewhere.

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