Downtown Nelson drivers will soon be able to use their smartphones to pay for parking.
However, the city won’t be ripping out the parking meters any time soon, finance manager Colin McClure told council at its Oct. 22 meeting.
“We need the meters because there are many who would like to just put their loonie or toonie in the meter.”
Starting in 2019, bylaw officers will be able to scan a car’s licence plate to show whether the driver has paid for parking through the city’s parking app.
McClure said the system will allow for mobility of parking payments.
For example, if a driver pays for two hours on Baker Street and wants to move to another location after an hour, the parking payment travels with the vehicle.
McClure explained that this system is used in many cities and is consistent with the public’s increasing preference for paying online or by phone.