Parking meters RIP as motorists pay by mobile

But the age of fumbling for loose change to feed a parking meter could soon be over.

Traditional meters are about to disappear because a trial letting parkers pay by mobile phone has proved so successful.

Westminster Council is poised to scrap all its 3,700 meters, which take £200,000 a week but lose a quarter of that to vandalism.

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It is believed that the scheme's popularity plus the rising costs of maintenance and attacks will persuade councils across the country to follow.

It has already been taken up by the private parking firm Apcoa, which runs car parks at 63 train stations between London and Penzance.

The pay-by-phone scheme lets motorists set up an account then pay with a text message quoting their registration plate and parking bay number.

Attendants have hand-held computers which are automatically updated when a payment is made. First-time users can set up an account on the spot as long as they have access to a phone and credit or debit card.

Motorists can use their computers to print out receipts, recording all transactions.

Council officials in Westminster claimed a survey showed 60 per cent of drivers backed scrapping meters and 77 per cent were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with pay-by-text-scheme.

More than 75 per cent of respondents said it was "easy" to set up a phone account and 82 per cent said the method was easy to use.

Drivers said they preferred the scheme because they did not have to carry pocketfuls of change.

They also liked being able to extend the amount of time at a meter by 'remotely' topping up payments with further texts to avoid getting a ticket.

Danny Chalkley, the council's cabinet member for economic development and transport, said: "The parking meter has a long and distinguished history in the city stretching back 50 years but this could be its final birthday.

"We are delighted to receive such positive feedback on the Pay by Phone scheme. It confirms how successful the trial has been.

"Being able to top up your meter on the move without returning to your vehicle provides greater flexibility for motorists and helps them avoid unnecessary fines."

Westminster councillors vote on scrapping their meters this summer with the scheme beginning in earnest this October.

Traditional meters will be removed in phases and initially kept as 'spares'. Some may be sold off as souvenirs. The change will start a year after the council erected notices encouraging drivers to set up parking accounts on its website or by phone.

By then it will be 49 years after the first meter went up in Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, when it cost 6d (2.5p) an hour to park and a fixed penalty was £2 - compared to £100 today.

More than 3.4 million UK drivers a year receive parking tickets as councils cash in after taking over responsibility for parking enforcement from the police - adding more than £200 million a year to their revenues.