Newcastle City Council has extended its pay by phone service to an additional 31 car parks across the city centre. Customers can access the service by dialling a local telephone number provided in conjunction with PayByPhone. The service is offered as an alternative to payment via coins.

Motorists can dial 0191 628 0000 or send a text to a short code 65565 to pay for parking at all car parks contained within the scheme. New colourful signs have been erected close to the ticket machines in car parks with information provided on how to register and use the system. First-time users can register via the website www.paybyphone.co.uk or at the car park via their mobile phone.

Motorists also benefit from being able to receive text reminders when their parking session is due to expire and top up their parking sessions without having to return to the car.

The PayByPhone parking system has become extremely popular in Newcastle since its introduction over two years ago. Over 25,000 people have signed up to use the service in Newcastle since its launch in November 2007 and more than 10,000 transactions are now made using this system in Newcastle each month.

Councillor Anita Lower said: “This latest initiative builds on the success we have had with cashless parking in our car parks and I am pleased we have been able to extend the service to more car parks.”

Craig Mordue, the council’s Head of Parking Services, added: “This system has proved to be very popular since it was first trialled in five of our key city centre car parks. Customers have always welcomed the additional choice in payment methods and we have seen the number of motorists signing up to the system grow month on month. I am delighted the system is now available to a wider audience across our network of city centre car parks.”

- ENDS -

Notes to Editors:

What are the customer benefits?

• No more hunting for change.
• Increased choice about how to pay.
• Proof of payment in case it is required.
• Easy top up payments from wherever you are without the need to return to your vehicle.
• No more lost money in broken equipment.
• You can use the system to pay for parking in a number of different UK locations once you have set up an account.

What are the benefits for Newcastle City Council?

• Provides an improved customer experience in parking, encouraging more people to visit and do business in Newcastle.
• Helps to ensure safety and security by reducing cash levels in car parks.
• Reduces costs of collecting and processing cash from machines.
• Helps to eliminate theft, fraud and vandalism of on-street equipment.
• Fewer capital costs for replacing and maintaining parking equipment.
• Helps meet e-government targets.
• More efficient means for Parking Attendants to confirm valid payment.
• Fewer Parking Notices issued due to faulty machines or incorrectly displayed Pay and Display tickets.

Why did the City Council introduce Pay by Phone parking as a pilot initially?

In May 2007, the annual Newcastle Parking Services survey included a question to assess likely customer acceptance of cashless payment methods. Of the 397 respondents for this question, 20% indicated that they would be likely to use mobile phone as a payment option if it was available.

Although this shows that there is a demand for PayByPhone parking, it was important for the Council to test any new payment system before implementing it on a permanent basis. This allowed for customers to try out the new system and provide their feedback so that the system can be improved.

Why has the system been rolled out?

The trial took place in five city centre multi-storey car parks – Dean Street, Eldon Garden, Eldon Square, Grainger Town and Quayside. In all five car parks, PayByPhone was offered as an alternative and supplementary payment method at all of the current parking spaces where you can use a Pay & Display machine.

Following the success of the trial where the number of monthly transactions via mobile phone has grown from 1,500 per month to 10,000 transactions per month and over 23,000 customers signed up to use the system, a decision was reached that the service could be rolled out to the remaining city centre car parks.

Isn’t PayByPhone discriminatory against people who don’t own or use a mobile phone?

PayByPhone parking is being offered as a complementary payment method in Pay & Display bays. Therefore, motorists without a mobile phone can still pay for their parking by the traditional method by coins.

What does it cost to park and is it more to pay by phone?

The parking tariffs for PayByPhone parking remain the same as displayed in the car parks.

However, service charges do apply – see below.

What is the service charge and why do I have to pay it?

The service charge is a small fee we charge for the benefits and extra convenience that paying by phone provides. It also makes the service more cost effective for the council to operate without the need for the investment of public monies. Service charges are applied as follows:
• 10p on each parking transaction of £2 or less
• 20p on each parking transaction in excess of £2
• 10p for a text reminder of the time the parking session is due to end
• 10p per text for any confirmation texts requested (Touch tone payments only. SMS text payments receive free confirmations by SMS text.)
• 10p for any extension (‘top up’) to parking time.

Is it safe to make payments like this via a mobile phone?

Yes - you only have to enter your credit or debit card details when you first set up an account. These details are encrypted and do not have to be entered, displayed, or spoken during a transaction. Your PayByPhone Parking account can also be protected by a PIN of your choice. In addition, PayByPhone parking enables you to pay for your parking from the comfort and safety of your vehicle.

Security of Text Messages

You are advised to delete any confidential information from your handset (e.g. when you register by text and have left a copy of the outgoing text in your outbox or other storage area on your phone) to prevent information being accessed by a third party.

PayByPhone is not aware of a single fraudulent transaction relating to the text service.

How will the Civil Enforcement Officer know that I have paid?

Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) use integrated handheld devices so that they can access the PayByPhone system and enter the location number where they are patrolling. The CEO then automatically receives a list of all of the vehicle registration numbers that are parked in that location and have paid by phone.