Window fitter wins six months free parking in Westminster (13/05/2008)

A window fitter has won six month's free parking in central London after making the two millionth Pay by Phone parking transaction.

Colin Leggett, 54, scooped six months worth of free parking and a mobile phone when he parked his work van using the Pay by Phone system in Westminster this week.

Currently almost 300,000 motorists have registered with the cashless scheme which was initially introduced in the autumn 2007 and now operates in bays in central London, spelling the demise of the traditional parking meter.

Mr Leggett, an employee of Suffolk based Glazing Vision Ltd, a bespoke skylight company with a £5m annual turnover, said:

“Ninety per cent of our business is in London, so Pay by Phone parking has made life a lot easier for us all.

"This system means we don’t have to carry around bags of coins or run back to the van to put more money in the Pay and Display machine."

The council aims to no longer accept coins on street anywhere in Westminster by December 2008. Pay by Phone parking is part of Westminster's cashless parking scheme which also includes Chip and Pin pay and display machines.

Once a driver has registered, either online or at the roadside, they can then start their parking quickly and simply with a phone call or text. Their details are then available online via a parking attendants' hand-held computer.

With approximately 12,000 pay by phone and 6,000 chip & pin transactions daily, Westminster's parking is now 80 percent cashless.

Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Transport, Cllr Danny Chalkley, said:

"This latest milestone shows the success of the scheme and its increasing popularity.

“The move to a high-tech, quick and safe cashless system is the way forward for street parking and eliminates the need to scramble around for loose change or having to rush back to the car to top up the meter making life easier for motorists in central London.

“We will continue to pursue our common sense approach to parking and ensure that we are running a genuinely firm, fair and excellent service.

The system reached the milestone as Westminster City Council parking bosses gear up for their parking summit today (Tuesday).

Attended by key parking stakeholders, residents and businesses in and around central London, the Parking Summit will help to provide a health-check on Westminster's Parking Service and decide its future priorities.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Pay by Phone parking is part of Westminster's cashless parking scheme which also includes Chip and Pin pay and display machines.

In December last year a survey of 11,000 cashless parking customers was carried out and figures showed approximately two thirds of customers were satisfied with the service and found it easy to use.

As of January 31, 2007, 243 motorists had registered with cashless parking.

Mr Leggett's vehicle registration details will be logged into the council's system so that Parking Attendants will know not to give him a parking ticket for not paying.